Justin Beaver named Gagliardi Trophy finalist

December 7, 2007

For the second time in three years, senior running back Justin Beaver has been named a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy. This year, Beaver has made it as one of the four region finalists, representing the west region.

"This is a well-deserved award for him and his teammates," Head Football Coach Lance Leipold said. "Justin is a very worthy candidate. We hope that people can see all of his contributions to the team."

The Gagliardi Trophy recognizes the outstanding Division III football student athlete who best exemplifies performance both on and off the field. The trophy is named in honor of John Gagliardi, St. Johns University in Minnesota's head football coach since 1953, and the coach with the most wins in college football history with 452 victories.

"Justin epitomizes all that the Gagliardi Trophy stands for: outstanding football player, strong student, and contributor to society," Athletics Director Paul Plinske said. "More than anything, he's an outstanding person. It's a wonderful tribute to Justin and his family that he's a semifinalist. We now hope he can win it all."

For the first time, fans were invited to participate through a voting process on D3football.com. More than 27,000 fans voted for this year's candidates.

A 33-member national selection committee will determine the national winner. The winner will be announced Dec. 10, and the recipient will be presented with the trophy Dec. 13 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.