COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Senior linebacker
Kodie McNamara (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2015 Gagliardi Trophy given to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III by Jostens and the J-Club of Saint John's University of Minnesota.
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.
McNamara is the first Gettysburg player to be named a semifinalist or finalist since
Paul Smith '00 in 1999. He turned in an outstanding season for the Orange and Blue, leading the team for the third consecutive season with 107 tackles. McNamara paced the Centennial Conference in total tackles for the second time in three years and he garnered All-Centennial Conference First Team status this season. He helped Gettysburg post a record of 7-3 this fall, tied for the most wins in 21 years.
A two-time team captain, McNamara started every single game of his college career. He finished second in program history with 396 career tackles, a mark which also ranked third among active Division III players.
A key element in the Gagliardi Trophy process is a candidate's accomplishments off the field, and McNamara shines among his peers. A mathematics major, McNamara sports a 3.9 GPA and is a five-time member of the Dean's Honor List (3.6 GPA or higher). He has been named CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team twice and he serves as a tutor in the mathematics department.
In the community, McNamara helped co-found the Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy theme house in 2013 and he has steered efforts to raise over $12,000 through charities and community events as a member of the football team and his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. McNamara also serves as scholarship chair of SAE and organizes study halls to help struggling fraternity members.
The remaining semifinalists are quarterback
Joe Callahan (Wesley College), safety
Alex Kocheff (University of Mount Union), quarterback
Matt Pawlowski (Guilford College), wide-receiver/returner
Jessie Ramos (Hardin-Simmons University), quarterback
Logan Schrader (Wartburg College), offensive lineman
David Simmet (St. Thomas University), offensive lineman
Matt Snebold (Wheaton (Ill.) College), running back
Sam Sura (Saint John's University), and running back/returner
Dayton Winn (Hendrix College). Winn is the lone junior among the group of seniors.
The 23rd annual Gagliardi Trophy will be presented Wednesday, Dec. 16, in Salem, Va., at a banquet kicking off the Division III championship weekend, which culminates in the Stagg Bowl on Friday, Dec. 18. The four finalists, who will be announced Dec. 8, will be on hand for the announcement of the winner and presentation of the trophy at the banquet.
Candidates were nominated by their college president. Nominations were submitted by 18 colleges across the country. The final 10 were selected by the J-Club Board of Directors.
The Gagliardi Trophy national-selection committee is comprised of 40 former small college football players, former Gagliardi Trophy recipients, business leaders, academicians and sports writers from around the country. Each casts a ballot ranking the 10 semifinalists. A fan vote, which will serve as the 41st committee member, will be launched on D3football.com and run until Monday, Dec. 7.
Gagliardi Trophy Online Poll: http://www.d3football.com/notables/2015/11/gagliardi-voting.