Spud Dick is South Region Finalist for Gagliardi Trophy
December 10, 2009
December 10, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — DePauw University senior Gerry "Spud" Dick is one of four finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, the most prestigious individual honor in NCAA Division III football. Dick, who was named one of ten finalists for the 2009 award last month, is the South region finalist. The national winner will be announced on Tuesday, December 15, and the recipient will be presented with the trophy on Thursday evening, December 17, at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va., as part of the festivities leading up to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, Division III's National Championship game.
The other three national finalists are: East Region - John Peters, senior linebacker, Union College (New York); 
North Region - Blaine Westemeyer, senior offensive tackle, Augustana College (Illinois); West Region - Alex Tanney, junior quarterback, Monmouth College (Illinois).
Dick was the top vote-getter in the third year of online voting. The Internet results counted as one vote and was tallied along with the votes of the 35 individual committee members.
Dick rewrote DePauw's all-time passing records and finished his career with 9,312 passing yards which surpassed the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference record of 9,295 established by Millsaps' Juan Joseph (2005-08). In 38 career starts, he set school career records for passing yards (9,312), completion percentage (65.5%), pass attempts (1,195), pass completions (783), touchdown passes (76), pass efficiency (145.11), total offense yards (9,293) and total plays (1,322).
In leading the 7-3 Tigers this season, he broke his own school record for completion percentage at
71.3 percent which also established an SCAC mark. His eight 300-yard passing games were also a school record. He earned All-SCAC First Team honors this year after garnering second team selections each of the last two seasons.
Through six semesters, Dick has posted a 3.59 cumulative grade point average while majoring in economics. A Management Fellow at DePauw, Dick has been named to the SCAC Academic Honor Roll three times and was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection earlier this month.
Dick has also participated in the football team's community service projects which includes volunteering at the Indiana Women's Basketball Special Olympics State Championship which is hosted annually at DePauw. He has joined the team in visiting children hospitalized at Riley Hospital for Children and participated in a local reading program for K-2 grades.
He's also been active in the fall break service marathon with the loca
l senior center which provides services for those in need in the community. Last summer, he volunteered at the U.S. Men's Senior Golf Open at Crooked Stick Golf Club.
The Gagliardi Trophy is named for St. John's coach John Gagliardi, the winningest coach in college football history with 471 career victories. The winner of the Gagliardi Trophy is selected by a 35-member national selection committee composed of coaches, sports writers, community leaders and former Division III student-athletes enshrined in the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame. The committee includes Professional Football Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper, College Football Hall of Fame and 1985 Heisman Trophy finalist Joe Dudek, Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, Sports Illustrated writer Austin Murphy, and CBS News anchor Harry Smith. The award is sponsored by Jostens and the J-Club of Saint John’s University, Minnesota.
For more information, visit the official home of Tiger football.
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