Wittenberg Football Standout Tristan Murray Named
Finalist For Prestigious Gagliardi Trophy

Tristan Murray

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The stream of postseason awards for Wittenberg University football standout Tristan Murray, class of 2006 from New Carlisle, Ohio, continued Tuesday. News releases announcing that Murray had been named 2006 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Offensive Player of the Year and one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy came within two hours of one another.

Murray had already earned recognition as one of 148 semifinalists for the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, an award presented annually by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF), and a first-team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV selection earlier this season. All-region and All-America honors, based solely on athletic performance, have not been announced yet.

Murray capped his three-year career in the Red & White with his best season yet in 2006, and he etched his name in the record books as one of the greatest running backs in school history. After transferring to Wittenberg from Brown University in December 2003, Murray appeared in 31 games and rushed for a school-record-tying 24 games.

A management major who earned his degree in May 2006 and is taking classes during the fall semester while taking advantage of a medical red-shirt season, Murray topped 100 yards nine straight weeks in 2006, which broke school records for consecutive 100-yard games and 100-yard games in a season. He finished with 1,517 rushing yards to lead the NCAC and rank sixth in NCAA Division III. That rushing total is the third-highest in school history for yards in a season.

For good measure, Murray also led the Tigers, who won the NCAC title with a 6-1 record, in receiving with 28 catches for 362 yards. Wittenberg advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 2002 before bowing out in the first round to fourth-ranked Capital, 32-14, on Nov. 18.

Murray stands second in school history with 4,081 career rushing yards and 348 career points. He was the 2004 North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and was a three-time first-team all-conference selection.

The 2006 Gagliardi Trophy finalists are all seniors. For the first time in the trophy's existence, four regional finalists will be chosen and announced on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The award, presented to the outstanding football player in NCAA Division III, honors excellence in athletics, academics and community service.

Sponsored by Jostens, Inc. and conducted by the J-Club of Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minn., this year's Gagliardi Trophy winner will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 12, and presented on Thursday, Dec. 14, in Salem, Va., two days before the 2006 NCAA Division III Tournament championship game, also in Salem.

The Gagliardi Trophy is named for Saint John's University head football coach John Gagliardi, the first active head coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2006) and the winningest coach in college football history with 442 career victories, as of Nov. 18, in 58 seasons. Gagliardi set the all-time win record on Nov. 8, 2003.