Emmert Named to 2005 Scholar-Athlete Class
Oct. 31, 2005
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame has named Carroll College (Mont.) senior quarterback Tyler Emmert as one of 16 members of the 2005 National Scholar-Athlete Class who will vie as the finalists for the Draddy Trophy. Emmert, selected as one of the best and brightest from the college gridiron by the NFF Awards Committee, will be honored at the 48th NFF Awards Dinner on December 6, 2005, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
Each scholar-athlete will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship and one of the 16 will be announced as the recipient of the 2005 Draddy Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback, who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the winner's scholarship to a total of $25,000.
"After thorough review of 184 outstanding candidates representing schools from all levels of collegiate play, the committee's deliberations resulted in the selection of an exceptional class of 16 scholar-athletes," said NFF Awards Committee Chairman and Director of Athletics at Rutgers University Robert E. Mulcahy III. "Knowing the importance and prestige of these awards, the committee takes the utmost care in making the selections and I applaud them for their efforts."
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. With a 3.7 average GPA, 14 of the players have earned all-conference recognition on the field and 14 of them have served as captains of their teams.
Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program is the first initiative in history to credit a football player for both academic and athletic accomplishments. This year's scholarship recipients include:
NAIA - Tyler Emmert, Carroll College (Mont.), QB, Civil Engineering
NCAA Division I - Josh Betts, Miami University (Ohio), QB, Finance; David Castillo, Florida State University, C, Exercise Science / Dietetics; Greg Eslinger, University of Minnesota, C, Health & Wellness; Grayling Love, Arizona State University, OL, Business Finance; Garrett Mills, University of Tulsa, TE, Management; Rudy Niswanger, Louisiana State University, OL, Kinesiology; DeMeco Ryans, University of Alabama, LB, Management; Bradley Smith, University of Missouri, QB, Business Administration / Marketing
NCAA Division I-AA - Reed Doughty, University of Northern Colorado, FS, Sport & Exercise Science; Nick Hartigan, Brown University, RB, Political Science & History.
NCAA Division II - Cory Cangelosi, University of Northern Colorado, DB, Speech Communications; Ryan Koch, St. Cloud State University, WR, Computer Science
NCAA Division III - Chris Edwards, Washington & Jefferson, QB, Cell / Molecular Biology; Matt Hawn, Saint John's University, LB, Biology / Pre-Dentistry; Santo Maimone, Case Western Reserve, CB, Chemistry / Anthropology
TYLER EMMERT, Quarterback, Carroll College (Mont.)
Recipient of the E. Douglas Kenna National Scholar-Athlete Award
Few players in college football history have reached the heights that Emmert has reached. In the classroom, he is one of Caroll's brightest and on the field he has led the Fighting Saints to three consecutive NAIA National Championships. Currently Carroll College is ranked No. 1 in the national polls and vying for a spot in the 2005 NAIA National Football Championship held in Hardin, Tennessee on December 17th.
A three-time Daktronics-NAIA Academic All-America Scholar-Athlete selection, Emmert received the A.O. Duer Award as the NAIA's top student-athlete in 2004. Majoring in Civil Engineering, he is a member of the National Honor Society and the American Society of civil Engineering. A four-time Academic All-Conference pick, Emmert has earned Dean's List recognition eight times.
"I have been fortunate to play for an outstanding coaching staff and with a tremendous group of teammates," said Emmert. "I really believe that individual awards are won as a result of great teamwork. My experiences at Carroll, whether it be on the field or in the classroom, have created a lifetime of memories and prepared me for life after college."
On the field, Emmert is a two-time NAIA First Team All-America selection and was named Rawlings 2003 NAIA National Player of the Year. In 2002, he earned an NAIA All-America Honorable Mention. A three-time First Team All-Conference pick and two time Conference Most Valuable Offensive Player, Emmert has passed for over 11,000 yards and is responsible for more than 100 touchdowns. A two-year team captain, his teams have only suffered three losses since 2002.
Emmert is closing in on a nation record just 714 yards behind Jon Kitna's NAIA record for total yards.
"Tyler is the ultimate competitor...whether it's football, the classroom or his summer job. He is the most prepared person and doesn't leave anything to chance," noted Carroll Head Football Coach Mike Van Diest. "Tyler makes everyone around him feel special. He has made a lasting impression on Carroll College and me. Tyler has had great support from his family, teammates, coaches and friends. All of us have benefited from knowing Tyler Emmert. I am very proud and happy for his success."
An elementary school mentor, Emmert speaks at Hometown Helena, a weekly gathering of local business men. He is a member of Big Brothers & Big Sisters and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Emmert carries a 3.78 GPA in Civil Engineering.
"Tyler is an exceptional selection to represent the NAIA and Carroll College as the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame 2005 National Scholar-Athlete," said Carroll President Tom Trebon. "I believe that Tyler represents one of the best examples of a student-athlete in the nation. He truly excels in academic and athletic performance as well as represents the high expectations we have for our students to be servant leaders."
Emmert is not the first Carroll player to receive the award. Travis Ahner was a 2001 recipient.
"I think it's a great accomplishment for Carroll College and Coach Van Diest's football program to have two student-athletes be honored with such a prestigious award. Travis was the first Carroll player to earn this honor and I had the opportunity to compete against him when I was a scout team player at Carroll," Emmert said. "He was one of my brothers' best friends and the the type of football player that I looked up to and had the opportunity to learn from. Hopefully, the success of Carroll's student-athletes, academically and athletically, highlights Coach Van Diests' approach to football. He places his importance on God, family, school and football, in that order, and as a result every around him benefits."
To read the official release, please click here.
To learn more about Carroll College visit www.carroll.edu.
