SALEM, Va. – Brett Kasper, a senior quarterback from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, received the 2017 Gagliardi Trophy tonight in Salem, Va. Presented by Jostens and the J-Club of Saint John's, the honor identifies Kasper as the most outstanding NCAA Division III football player in 2017.
The award was presented during a kick-off banquet for the Division III championship weekend, which culminates in the Stagg Bowl on Friday, Dec. 15, pitting Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) and Mount Union (Ohio).
The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993, recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after
John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame head football coach who retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history.
Kasper is the first player from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to win the Gagliardi Trophy, and becomes the fourth quarterback to win the award in the last five years. He is just the second player from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) to win the award (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater running back Justin Beaver in 2007). In January 2017, Kasper was the first Division III captain for the AFCA Good Works Team for his work in the community.
Kasper's community service work has been lifesaving – literally. Kasper is a volunteer with Be The Match, the largest and most diverse bone marrow registry in the world, an organization the Titans football team has paired with since 2013. In 2014, after registering his own bone marrow in the registry, Kasper was informed that he had matched with an 8-year-old girl. In February 2015, Kasper underwent the procedure to donate his bone marrow to the young girl, who is now recovering and has made multiple trips to see her hero in Oshkosh.
In addition to Be The Match, Kasper regularly volunteers with Feeding America, and is an active participant in the Polar Plunge, which raises money for the Special Olympics. Kasper also is an integral part in the UW-Oshkosh high school football camp programming.
A supply chain management major with a 3.375 GPA, Kasper will graduate this month with his degree. Kasper has been named to the UW-Oshkosh Dean's List multiple times and to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll for three straight seasons.
Kasper has earned honors for his success on the field as well. He was named the D3football All-West Region Offensive Player of the Year and earned his second WIAC Offensive Player of the Year honor this season. He is the sixth player in WIAC history to earn Player of the Year honors twice. He also earned All-WIAC First Team honors for the second time in his career.
During the 2017 season, Kasper started all 13 games and led his team to the national semifinals for the second straight year, as the Titans reached the national championship game last season. Kasper completed 186 of his 285 attempts for 3,025 yards and 34 touchdowns. His 189.6 pass-efficiency rating is second best in Division III and his 34 passing touchdowns are seventh. After playing 50 games in his career at UW-Oshkosh, Kasper now sits atop the all-time stats list with 9,786 passing yards and 89 touchdowns.
The Titans ended their season with a 12-1 record, going undefeated (7-0) in WIAC play. The Titans' offense is 10th in scoring offense (41.8 ppg.) and 12th in total offense (484.5 ypg.).
More about the Gagliardi Trophy
The trophy design features a sculpture of Gagliardi and a player, representing the teacher-coach and the student-athlete in a one-on-one sideline consultation. Hand-cast in bronze on a polished wood base, the trophy stands nearly two feet tall and weighs approximately 64 pounds. The words "The Gagliardi Trophy presented by Jostens & J-Club" are printed on the acrylic panel behind the figures. The words "Division III 2017 Player of the Year" and "Honoring Excellence in Football, Academics and Community Service" are etched on two panels below the figures.
Nominations were submitted by colleges across the country, and the finalists were selected by the J-Club Board of Directors. The Gagliardi Trophy national-selection committee is comprised of 40 former college football players, former Gagliardi Trophy recipients, business leaders, academicians and sports writers from around the country. Each casts a ballot ranking the finalists. College football fans also voted online and their tally, totaling 17,507 votes, represented the 41st committee member.
The other three finalists:
• Nick Holcomb, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
6-2, 190 | Senior | Wide Receiver | Finance and Management
Germantown, Wis. | Germantown High School
- Ended the regular season as the Division III leader in receiving yards (1,401) and touchdowns (20), which are all single-season school records…set a school record with 15 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2017…had four games with 10 or more receptions…caught a touchdown reception in nine of 10 regular-season games, and had at least two TD catches in six games…posted a four-touchdown, 263-yard receiving game against Ripon (Wis.)…set a school and WIAC single-game record with five receiving touchdowns against UW-River Falls this fall…volunteers with Veterans Day Breakfast and UW-La Crosse football camps…worked with local high school special needs students teaching life skills…participated in a "Walking School Bus," leading children to school in the morning.
• Matt Sacia, Wartburg College (Iowa)
6-2, 195 | Junior | Quarterback| Biology/Pre-Medicine
Eldridge, Iowa | North Scott High School
- Voted the IIAC Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2017…led Knights to fifth undefeated regular season (10-0) in program history…completed 243 of 360 passes for 3,221 yards for 35 touchdowns and only three interceptions in 13 games…had a school record five-touchdown performance against Nebraska Wesleyan Nov. 11, and tossed four touchdown passes in four other games…ranks sixth in Division III passing efficiency (173.1)…is a two-time All-IIAC selection, in addition to earning Academic All-IIAC honors…serves on the executive team for Wartburg's Dance Marathon this year, after serving on the at-large committee last year…also volunteers at the annual Unified Sports Day, which is a day of activities with local Special Olympic athletes.
• Jordan Wilcox, Springfield College (Mass.)
6-1, 225 | Senior | Fullback | Finance
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. | Saratoga Springs High School
- The Pride averaged 435.2 yards rushing per game, the top rushing offense in the country at any level…Wilcox leads Division III in yards per rush (7.83), is fifth in rushing yards (1,786) and sixth in rushing touchdowns (21)…rushed for over 200 yards in four games this season, and had four games with at least three touchdowns…named the NEWMAC Offensive Player of the Year….two-time Liberty League All-Academic honoree…is a NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honoree this season…is involved with Team IMPACT, which supports children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses…has been involved with Be The Match, increasing awareness about bone marrow registry…also has participated in the annual St. Baldrick's Children's Cancer awareness event.
Six other standout student-athletes were semifinalists for the 2017 Gagliardi Trophy:
• Austin Breunig, North Central College (Ill.), Senior Running Back;
• Matt Gono, Wesley College (Del.), Senior Offensive Lineman;
• Ty Parsons, East Texas Baptist University, Senior Linebacker;
• John Smith, Husson University (Maine), Senior Running Back;
• Evan Wyse, Trine University (Ind.), Senior Quarterback;
• Jesse Zubik, Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.), Senior Wide Receiver.
About Jostens
Jostens is a trusted partner in the academic and achievement channel, providing products, programs and services that help its customers celebrate moments that matter. The company's products include yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments. Founded in 1897 and based in Minneapolis, Minn., Jostens is a subsidiary of Newell Brands and can be found online at www.jostens.com.
About Newell Brands
Newell Brands (NYSE: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, Dymo®, EXPO®, Parker®, Elmer's®, Coleman®, Jostens®, Marmot®, Rawlings®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First Alert®, Waddington and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play.
This press release and additional information about Newell Brands are available on the company's website, www.newellbrands.com.
About Saint John's University J-Club
Founded in 1959, the Saint John's University J-Club is a dues-based booster organization of former Johnnie student-athletes, parents and fans, and plays a key role in support of the SJU varsity programs, intramurals and club sports. Saint John's is a private liberal arts college for men located in Collegeville, Minn.
