The NCAA News - News and Features

January 12, 1998

Postgraduate scholarships awarded to 35 football players

Postgraduate scholarships of $5,000 each have been awarded by the NCAA to 35 football players at member institutions.

The NCAA annually awards 174 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically and who are in their last year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

In addition to the 35 football honorees, the NCAA awards grants to 32 basketball players (16 each for men and women) and 107 student-athletes participating in sports other than football and basketball (36 for men and 71 for women) in which the NCAA conducts championships.

Of the 35 football scholarships, 13 are awarded to Division I student-athletes, 13 are awarded in Divisions II and III and the remaining nine are awarded at large.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarships, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.000 (4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time graduate student.

In addition, the student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics.

Following is a complete list of the 1997-98 NCAA postgraduate scholarship winners for football, with school, major and notable accomplishments.

Division I

John Patrick Bishop, University of Pennsylvania -- finance major; compiled nearly 200 unassisted tackles; named to the Ivy Group all-academic team; selected first-team all-Ivy Group; will pursue a graduate degree in business administration.

Josh Rennie Branen, University of Montana -- psychology major; became the third-leading rusher in Montana history; two-time winner of the University of Montana Presidential Award; named most inspirational player at Montana in 1995; intends to obtain a master's degree in physical therapy.

Daryl L. Bush, Florida State University -- finance major; two-time Butkus Award semifinalist; starter on the 1994 Sugar Bowl and 1995 Orange Bowl championship teams; 1996 Honda Scholar-Athlete; four-year starter and team captain; plans to pursue a career in professional football and then obtain a graduate degree in law or business administration.

Levi James Gillen, University of Tulsa -- mechanical engineering major; set school record for number of tackles in a season (148); selected to the All-Farm All-American Team; named to the all-Western Athletic Conference defensive team; plans to attend graduate school in the fall and obtain a degree in business administration.

Chad S. Kessler, Louisiana State University -- microbiology major; one of the top punters in the country; recipient of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Award; received the Scholar-Athlete Award at the 1995 Independence Bowl and 1996 Peach Bowl; will attend medical school in the fall.

Jay S. Korth, University of Wyoming -- mechanical engineering major; four-year starter on the offensive line; named first-team all-Western Athletic Conference; two-time GTE Academic All-America honoree; selected to the Successful Farming All-American Team; will pursue graduate degree in mechanical engineering.

Dominic William Lanza, Dartmouth College -- government major; named to The Associated Press Division I-AA All-America Team; selected to the GTE Academic All-America Team in football; will pursue graduate studies in the economic and political development of Third World nations, with a focus on Africa.

Peyton Williams Manning, University of Tennessee, Knoxville -- speech communication major; holds NCAA records for lowest season interception percentage and lowest career interception percentage; Johnny Unitas Award winner; Southeastern Conference player of the year; currently working on a master's degree in sports administration at Tennessee.

Steven Lee Mattson, Eastern Washington University -- biology major; selected to the Big Sky Conference first team; four-time member of the Big Sky all-academic team; honored as a Burger King Scholar-Athlete; will attend medical school and specialize in orthopedic surgery.

John William Rea, University of Alabama at Birmingham -- double major in biology and philosophy; four-year starter at center; set school record with 57 knockdowns; anchored offensive line that produced school rushing record; plans to attend medical school.

Patrick Daniel Tillman, Arizona State University -- marketing major; Butkus Award candidate; named Pacific-10 Conference defensive player of the year; selected as a Sporting News first-team all-American; member of the Pac-10 academic first team; will pursue a master's in business administration.

Cory Lee Wedel, University of Wyoming -- vocational agriculture major; named first-team all-Western Athletic Conference; two-time GTE Academic All-America honoree; Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine selection; plans to obtain master's degree in secondary education or education administration.

Grant A. Wistrom, University of Nebraska at Lincoln -- biological science major; Lombardi Award semifinalist; Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player-of-the-Year finalist; 1996 Big 12 Conference player of the year; compiled nearly 200 tackles; will obtain a master's degree in pharmacy.

Divisions II and III

Michael Thomas Bramlage Jr., Thomas More College -- biology major; selected as team captain in 1996 and 1997; his 10 career interceptions are the second highest total in school history; GTE Academic All-America honoree; team's most valuable player in 1996; plans to pursue a graduate degree in ecology.

Mark Moody Byarlay, Trinity University (Texas) -- biology major; rushed for more than 2,200 yards; Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference offensive player of the year; named first-team all-SCAC running back; first-team GTE Academic All-America selection; plans to attend medical school.

Thomas Nappi Couhig, Marietta College -- English and history major; four-year starter as center and guard; selected to all-Ohio Athletic Conference first team; named Bob Griese's Football first-team preseason all-American; plans to obtain law degree.

Sean Michael Fredricks, North Dakota State University -- English major; named Associated Press first-team Little All-American; selected all-North Central Conference; as a linebacker, accounted for more than 65 solo tackles; plans to attend law school next fall.

Joseph Kyle Fulcher, Mississippi College -- accounting major; selected as American Southwest Conference defensive player of the year; will play in the Division III Aztec Bowl; first-team GTE Academic All-America honoree; will attend the Mississippi College School of Law in the fall 1998.

Joel Odean Hornby, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point -- biology major; team captain; played on the offensive line two years and defensive line this year; recovered three fumbles and had more than 60 tackles; plans to continue postgraduate studies in biology.

Neil Lawrence Johnson, Albion College -- economics major; named first-team all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association; as linebacker, had more than 330 career tackles; will continue graduate studies focusing on the operation of financial markets.

Bradley David Klein, Washington University (Missouri) -- chemical engineering major; as linebacker, had more than 150 unassisted tackles; named first-team GTE Academic All-America honoree; team captain; National Merit Scholar; will obtain master's degree in environmental engineering.

Dusten Litteden Olds, Nebraska Wesleyan University -- physics major; set a school passing record with 483 career completions; 1997 team leader in total offense with 2,157 yards; named to the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference first team; plans to continue graduate studies in civil engineering with an emphasis in structural design.

David Atmand Sabolcik Jr., Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania -- sports management major; named to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first team and also was first-team Daktronics Division II Northeast region center; will obtain master's degree in sports management.

Ted C. Schultz, Augsburg College -- history major; caught more than 50 passes in his career; named a member of the American Football Coaches Association 1997 Good Works Team; Burger King college football scholarship award winner; will pursue graduate degree in sports administration.

Christopher Paul Smith, Colorado College -- chemistry major; as safety, led the team this season with 105 tackles; received the team's Scholar-Athlete Award; National Scholar-Athlete for Division III football in Dan and Peggy's College Football Review 1997; plans to attend law school.

Chad Ervin Wemhoff, Nebraska Wesleyan University -- biology major; led the team and Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference with 55 receptions; set a school record with 164 career receptions; GTE Academic All-America honoree; will seek an graduate degree in physical therapy.

At large

Jack (Tres) Kennedy Doran, Trinity University (Texas) -- accounting and finance major; team captain; rushed for 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns and had 49 receptions and 12 touchdowns as a receiver; 1996 first-team all-conference; GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI team; intends to continue graduate study in accounting.

Jason Todd Eves, Western State College of Colorado -- mathematics/secondary education major; 1996 second-team all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference defensive end; Phillips 66 RMAC Scholar-Athlete; has logged more than 55 unassisted tackles; will pursue a graduate degree in education.

Brandon Wyne Graham, Hope College -- kinesiology major; holds school records for career rushing (4,090 yards), touchdowns (43) and all-purpose yards (1,559); 1996 consensus all-American; two-time all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association; ranked third in Division III in rushing in 1996; will seek a master's degree in physical education next fall.

Brian David Griese, University of Michigan -- environmental policy major; Big Ten Conference all-academic selection; tied Michigan record for touchdowns in a game with four against University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in 1995; threw for 200 or more yards in six games; GTE Academic All-America honoree; 1997 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete; will obtain a master's degree in international development studies.

Stephen Joseph Iorio, Georgetown University -- finance major; rushed for more than 3,000 yards in his career; named second-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1996; second-team GTE Academic All-America; captain of the men's lacrosse team; will pursue a graduate degree in business administration.

Stephen Stratford Phelan Jr., University of Virginia -- history major, tied for team lead with four interceptions and 52 tackles in 1996; GTE Academic All-America honoree; named to the Atlantic Coast Conference all-academic football team; honorable-mention all-ACC selection in 1996; will attend law school at Virginia in fall 1998.

Cameron Paul Quayle, Weber State University -- chemistry and zoology major; Big Sky Conference all-academic team for three years; received All-American Scholar-Athlete Award in 1997; team captain; first-team all-Big Sky; as tight end, had 96 catches and seven touchdowns; named first-team Division I-AA all-American; plans to enter dental school in fall 1998.

Kent Michael Rafey, Wittenberg University -- psychology major; selected as North Coast Athletic Conference defensive player of the year; team cocaptain; as middle linebacker, had 450 tackles; started every game during his career; will pursue a master's degree in sports psychology.

Joseph Alan Seetoo, Randolph-Macon College -- double major in economics and business and international relations; four-year letter winner; first-team all-Old Dominion Athletic Conference selection; switched from running back to defensive back after freshman season; compiled more than 160 tackles in his career; will seek graduate degree in business administration.