ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 7, 1995 TAG: 9512070056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
In the closest balloting in the award's three-year history, Chris Palmer, a wide receiver from Saint John's (Minn.) University, is the winner of the 1995 Gagliardi Trophy.
Palmer, a senior from Fairfax, Minn., earned 197 points on 26 national ballots, two points better than Hanover College quarterback Terry Peebles. Washington and Lee defensive lineman Robert Hull finished ninth with 112 points. Hull was the first Old Dominion Athletic Conference player to be nominated for the award.
The trophy will be presented at noon today during the Salem Rotary Club meeting at the Salem Civic Center.
The trophy is named after John Gagliardi, who is also Palmer's coach.
``It's kind of special to have someone on the team earn the award,'' Palmer said. ``We know the man behind the name.''
Behind Palmer's name are some great numbers. In 1995 he had 71 receptions for 1,197 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Johnnies also used him as a runner on reverses and sweeps. He rushed 26 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He led the team in scoring with 92 points.
For his career, Palmer has 3,162 yards receiving on 165 catches. The biology major has a 3.95 grade-point average and competes on the Saint John's baseball team.
Palmer said he was surprised last Thursday when he found out he won the award, and it hadn't entered his mind prior to the season.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder who grew up on a cattle farm has been a successful product of Gagliardi's program. Gagliardi doesn't allow hitting in practice, players don't wear any pads, there is no weightlifting and he demands his players call him ``John,'' never ``Coach.''
``It's a pretty unique practice style,'' Palmer said. ``Most of it was from his high school experience. He took out a lot of things he hated about football. He didn't like not being able to get a drink of water when he wanted, he didn't like to get beat up ....''
Palmer and Gagliardi were to arrive in the Roanoke Valley last night. They will participate in most Stagg Bowl activities, including today's luncheon and Saturday's YES Clinic.
ALL AMERICANS: Two athletes who will compete in Saturday's Stagg Bowl were named Wednesday to the American Football Coaches Association Division III All-America team. Craig Kusick, Wisconsin-La Crosse's senior quarterback, was named to the offensive team, and LeRoi Jones, a linebacker at Rowan, was selected to the defensive team.
TOUGH TRACK RECORDS: When it comes to running in circles, no one does it as well at the Division III level as Rowan and Wisconsin-La Crosse. Rowan won five NCAA men's outdoor track and field titles from 1980-84 and Wisconsin-La Crosse won the same title in 1988 and three more times from '91 to '93.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: 1995 NCAA Stagg Bowl logo. color.by CNB