Football | 11/24/2021 10:31:00 AM
Cortland senior quarterback Brees Segala (Webster/Webster Schroeder) has been announced as one of 15 semifinalists for the 28th Gagliardi Trophy. The award (pronounced Gah-LAR-dee) is presented by Jostens and the J-Club of Saint John's University (Minn.) to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993 (except for 2020), recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after John Gagliardi, legendary Hall of Fame head football coach at Saint John's who passed away in 2018 at age 91. He retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history.
Segala is among a group of 12 quarterbacks, two wide receivers and one defensive back/punter/returner on the list of semifinalists, 11 of which participated in the NCAA Division III tournament first round. The list will be narrowed to four finalists, who will be announced during a live show on Thursday, Dec. 9, on D3football.com, and the 2021 Gagliardi Trophy winner will be revealed on D3football.com during the week of the NCAA Division III football national championship on Friday, Dec. 17.
The award is voted on by the 40-member Gagliardi Trophy national selection committee that includes Division III coaches, administrators, notable regional voters, and national voters with Division III backgrounds. Fan balloting, which is available on D3football.com, accounts for one collective "41st" ballot.
Fans may cast one ballot per device through 1 p.m. on Dec. 9.
The Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year, Segala completed 164-of-240 passes (68.3 percent) for 2,144 yards, 29 touchdowns and just four interceptions, along with 85 rushes for 344 yards and five scores, in 10 regular-season games. He also completed 12-of-19 passes for 231 yards and a TD and ran for 32 yards in Cortland's 26-21 win over Springfield in the NCAA first round. Cortland hosts RPI in the second round this Saturday.
Segala is a sport management major at Cortland with a 3.51 cumulative grade point average entering the 2021 fall semester. He is Cortland's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President, and he has participated in a number of campus/community events, including the Yards for Yeardley Walk in 2018 and 2019, Take Back the Night Walk in 2018, and the Cortland Athletics Community Leaf Raking in 2018. He's also been a Sunday Nights Lights Football Coach volunteer in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Cortland has had two previous Gagliardi Trophy finalists - quarterback (and current Cincinnati Bengals QB coach) Dan Pitcher in 2011 and defensive lineman Adam Haas in 2006 - under a previous format where 10 players were recognized with that title.
The 15 semifinalists for the 2021 Gagliardi Trophy are:
Ian Blankenship, Sr., RB, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Jefferson Fritz, Sr., DB/P/RET, Mary Hardin-Baylor
Cody Gustafson, Sr., WR, Grove City
Blaine Hawkins, Sr., QB, Central (Iowa)
Michael Hnatkowsky, Sr., QB, Muhlenberg
Tucker Horn, Jr., QB, Trinity (Texas)
Tyler Jarnagin, Sr., QB, Benedictine
Kyle Jones, Sr., QB, Hardin-Simmons
Andrew Kamienski, Sr., WR, North Central (Ill.)
Max Meylor, Sr., QB, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Braxton Plunk, Jr., QB, Mount Union
Jaran Roste, Jr., QB, Bethel
Brees Segala, Sr., QB, Cortland
Wyatt Smith, Sr., QB, Linfield
Gavin Zimbelman, Sr., QB, Aurora