MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College football quarterback McCallum Foote has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2013 Gagliardi Trophy given to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III by Jostens Inc. 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.
The Gagliardi Trophy selection committee is comprised of 38 former small college football players, business leaders, academicians and sports writers from around the country. Each casts a ballot ranking the 10 finalists. A fan vote, which will serve as the 39th committee member, will be launched on d3football.com on Nov. 26 and run until Dec. 10.
Foote had another outstanding year on the gridiron for the Panthers, earning NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight season. The three-time first-team all-league choice saw his single-season and career statistics make their mark on the NESCAC and Middlebury record books.
For the third straight season as a first-team quarterback, he led the NESCAC in passing yards (2,766), touchdown passes (26), and completions per game (32.38). He currently leads the nation in completions per game and is second in all of Division III in passing yards per game (345.8).
He is one of three players in NESCAC history to win the conference’s Player of the Year twice. During his 23 career games at quarterback, Foote earned a NESCAC-record seven Player of the Week nods.
The Gagliardi Trophy will be presented on Dec. 18, in Salem, Va., home of the Stagg Bowl. Candidates are nominated by their college presidents, and the top four vote-getters, as determined by a national selection committee, will be on hand for the banquet, where the winner will be announced and the trophy presented. Running back Scottie Williams from Elmhurst College (Illinois) won the 2012 Gagliardi Trophy.