Josh Brehm Wins Gagliardi Trophy
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Josh Brehm, senior quarterback at Alma College in Alma, Mich., has been named recipient of the 14th annual Gagliardi Trophy, given annually to the outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. The award will be presented Thursday, Dec. 14, at a luncheon in Salem, Va., to kickoff Stagg Bowl festivities. The national championship game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 16, between Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mount Union, Ohio. The award, sponsored by Jostens, Inc., and administered by the Saint John's University J-Club in Collegeville, Minn., recognizes excellence in academics, athletics and community service.Brehm is the seventh overall and second consecutive quarterback to win The Gagliardi Trophy.
Hailing from Ithaca, Mich., Brehm led NCAA Division III in three categories: total offense (4,084), passing yards (3,448) and passing yards per game (344.8). The 2006 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Offensive Most Valuable Player, Brehm completed 66 percent of his passes (305 of 462 passing) with 30 touchdowns, a 148.8 passing efficiency rating, and was intercepted only three times in 10 games this season. Brehm set an NCAA record with 288 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, and set the NCAA Division III record with 10 consecutive games of 300 yards of total offense or more. This season, Brehm had five games with over 400 yards of total offense, and in his career, he had 10 games with over 400 yards of total offense. In addition, Brehm posted nine consecutive 300-yard passing games. He was selected to participate in the East Coast Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 25 in Petersburg, Va., and went 20 of 28 passing for 240 yards, one touchdown and added another on the ground.
Brehm is the holder of 15 school records including passing yards (10,706), pass completions (919) and touchdown passes (85). A two-time All-MIAA first team selection, Brehm collected 12,247 career yards of total offense and was honored as the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week seven times in his career. Brehm was a four-year starter and a two-time captain for the Scots.
The Gagliardi Trophy is named for Saint John’s University head football coach John Gagliardi, the first active head coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2006) and the winningest coach in college football history with 443 career victories in 58 seasons. Gagliardi set the all-time win record on Nov. 8, 2003.
In addition to his expertise and agility on the football field, Brehm, a double major in business and psychology, has a 3.78 GPA. He has had three consecutive semesters with a 4.0. This past year, Brehm was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team. An active member of Alma’s Students in Free Enterprise, Brehm has dedicated countless hours of service in area schools.
Brehm was nominated by Saundra Tracy, president of Alma College, who wrote, "He is a very effective leader in athletics, campus organizations, volunteer activities and in the classroom. In fact, he is so well respected on campus that we selected Josh to describe his Alma experience on our recent fundraising campaign video.”
Alma head coach Jim Cole, in his letter of support for Brehm’s nomination, wrote, "Brehm is the finest young man I have ever been associated with in my 33 years of coaching…he is a humble, quiet leader who is a true gentleman and the ultimate team player.”
College presidents nominate their top student-athletes for the award. The J-Club Board of Directors narrows the field to 10 finalists and a national selection committee selects the winner. For the first time in the trophy’s existence, the initial 10 finalists were narrowed down to four regional finalists this year. The trophy features a sculpture of Gagliardi and a player in a classic one-on-one sideline consultation. The sculptures are hand cast in bronze and mounted on a polished wood base. Designed by Jostens, the trophy stands nearly two feet tall and weighs 64 pounds.
For more information about the Gagliardi Trophy, please contact John Abel at 952-830-3313.
-30-
Posted: Tue, December 12th, 2006 at 1:25PM
