Fred Mitchell Award Website
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John’s University senior kicker/punter Russell Gliadon (Fridley, Minn.) received monthly recognition by the Fred Mitchell Award on Wednesday, Nov. 4. He was one of 12 Division II and Division III place-kickers to be recognized for their excellence on the football field and in the community during the month of October.
Gliadon (glye-dunn) was named the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice and re-wrote the SJU record book during the month of October.
He made a school-record 49-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to give then-No. 6 SJU a 16-14 win over Bethel on Oct. 3. Gliadon missed the potential game-tying extra point with 1:47 remaining and had an earlier field-goal attempt, from 38 yards out, blocked in the first quarter. The 49-yard field goal surpassed the old school record of 47 yards recorded by Mike Schmidt at St. Thomas on Nov. 7, 1981. Gliadon had made 17 consecutive extra points this season, and 26 straight since he had an attempt blocked at St. Thomas on Oct. 18 of last year. After his missed extra point, SJU forced a three-and-out, which at one time was a second-and-three, and moved from its own 35 to the Royals’ 32 yard line in nine plays with no timeouts. With the clock running, Gliadon hit the game-winning kick from 49 yards out to give SJU its first lead of the game. His previous career-high was 35 yards (vs. Marietta, Ohio; Sept. 1, 2007).
He broke his own record two weeks later with a 52-yard field goal in the Johnnies’ 10-3 win over St. Olaf on Oct. 24.
Gliadon is a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters in St. Cloud, Habitat for Humanity in St. Joseph, and various football camps in Fridley, Minnetonka and River Falls, Wis.
SJU (8-0, 6-0 MIAC), ranked No. 4 nationally, returns to action this Saturday, Nov. 7 against Augsburg. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the H.H.H. Metrodome in Minneapolis. The Johnnies are 61-7-2 all-time against the Auggies, including a 51-4-1 record under the direction of head coach John Gagliardi. SJU has won each of the past 11 meetings and 28 of the last 29 games overall. Saint John’s is 12-3-1 all-time (.781) at the Metrodome, and has won nine of its last 10 games under the Teflon.