THIEL'S STIMAC ANNOUNCED AS NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION 2007 DRADDY TROPHY SEMIFINALIST

Kevin Fenstermacher
Assistant Athletic Director
Sports Information Director
75 College Ave.
Greenville, PA 16125
Phone - 724.589.2187
Fax - 724.589.2880
kfenstermacher@thiel.edu
www.thiel.edu/athletics

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2007

THIEL'S STIMAC ANNOUNCED AS NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION
2007 DRADDY TROPHY SEMIFINALIST

Michael Stimac DALLAS, Tex. (Oct. 11) --Selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 153 semifinalists for the 2007 Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and the candidates for the NFF 2007 National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Thiel College senior linebacker Michael Stimac (East Brady/Karns City) has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious award, just one of 24 semifinalists from NCAA Division III football-playing institutions.

One of college football's most sought after and competitive awards, the Draddy Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.

Stimac has been named to the Dean’s List after each of his semesters at Thiel, and if he maintains Dean’s List status throughout his final two semesters he will be eligible for the Dean’s Key, which is a gold key awarded to those who make the Dean’s List during all eight semesters. He currently serves as the vice president of the Alpha Iota Kappa chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, an international English honor society which has served the English discipline for 75 years, and is also a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honorary society in education which encourages high professional, intellectual, and personal standards and recognizes outstanding contributions to education. He also serves as an English tutor on campus. He has been awarded with the Ellwood and Sara Hauser Scholarship, which recognizes a rising junior who plans to enter the ministry or the field of education and who has a GPA of 3.0 or better and has been named a Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll recipient on three occasions (fall 2004, fall 2005, fall 2006). The PAC Academic Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes who have earned a GPA of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale during their semester of competition. In November 2006 Michael was selected as the PAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Student-Athlete of the Month.

Stimac is a three-year starter and, following this season, will be a four-year letter winner as a linebacker. During his freshman season (2004) he earned his first letter after appearing in all 10 games, contributing mostly on special teams. As a sophomore (2005) he posted 36 total tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss. and helped the Tomcats to a regular season record of 10-0 and advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in school history. As a junior (2006) he was named an all-PAC honorable mention selection after finishing third on the team in tackles with 62 total stops (26 solo). He also recorded 4.5 tackles for a loss and one pass breakup. He had a personal best and team-high 14 tackles in 17-14 overtime victory at PAC rival Thomas More College on Sept. 23. Stimac is currently 14th among PAC counterparts with 44 tackles (27 solo, 17 assist) and a pair of sacks this season. Through 42 career games (24 starts) he has totaled 162 total tackles (75 solo, 87 assist), 12.0 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

Voted a team captain in 2007 by his teammates, Stimac has been a solid contributor to Thiel's campus for three years. He is a two-year member of the campus’ SAAC, organized the football team’s weekly campus clean-up during the spring 2007 semester, and helped arrange for our athletic programs to assist in Greenville’s Shenango River clean-up last spring. An avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Stimac took these clean-up projects to heart and his willingness to give up a Saturday afternoon in the spring pushed a great number of other student-athletes to do the same. On campus Stimac served as a resident assistant for two years, was involved in creating leadership development lessons for the football team, and worked with the football program’s annual youth football camp each of his three years. Hel has also played a big role in organizing team community service projects. A member of his churches’ youth group in East Brady, Stimac was involved in many service projects, such as landscaping, youth camp outs, etc. In January 2007 he and 10 other members of the Tomcat football squad served as escorts at a Snowflake Ball with residents of Saint Paul Homes, a local retirement center with all levels of care. He has also volunteered at Bingo games at Saint Paul Homes. In the fall of 2002 the football program, through Compassion International, “adopted” Panthros Yacoob, now a 12-year old child in East India. Since arriving at Thiel in 2004, Stimac has been involved in sending notes, letters, photos, etc. from the Tomcat players to Panthros.

"The NFF is extremely proud of this year's group of semifinalists," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "Their substantial commitment to academic excellence, athletic prowess and community service is commendable, and it is our responsibility to honor them for their dedication on and off the playing field. These players are the greatest illustration of how we hope to build leaders through football."

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent dePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.

This year's semifinalists maintain a 3.58 average GPA in diverse majors such as physics and ocean engineering. Sixty-six players have earned all-conference recognition on the field and 106 have served as captains. The offensive line produced the most nominees with 31 candidates. Receivers and linebackers followed with 26 nominees each. Offense outscored the defense with 80 to 53 hopefuls. Twenty special teams aspirants completed the contingent. Nominees hail from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, including a record 67 contenders from the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).

The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 25. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2007 National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Draddy winner, who will receive a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship, will be announced at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 4 at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of more than $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.

On Oct. 29, 2003, Justin Napotnik (Sharpsville/Sharpsville), class of 2004, was named a member of the 2003 NFF Scholar-Athlete class. Napotnik was one of 15 members to be honored for his academic and athletic achievements at the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame's 46th Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 at the Waldorf-Astoria.

--30--
www.thiel.edu/athletics

		Kevin Fenstermacher Assistant Athletic Director Sports Information Director 75 College Ave. Greenville, PA 16125 Phone - 724.589.2187 Fax - 724.589.2880 kfenstermacher@thiel.edu www.thiel.edu/athletics

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2007 THIEL'S STIMAC ANNOUNCED AS NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION 2007 DRADDY TROPHY SEMIFINALIST DALLAS, Tex. (Oct. 11) --Selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 153 semifinalists for the 2007 Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and the candidates for the NFF 2007 National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Thiel College senior linebacker Michael Stimac (East Brady/Karns City) has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious award, just one of 24 semifinalists from NCAA Division III football-playing institutions. One of college football's most sought after and competitive awards, the Draddy Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. Stimac has been named to the Dean’s List after each of his semesters at Thiel, and if he maintains Dean’s List status throughout his final two semesters he will be eligible for the Dean’s Key, which is a gold key awarded to those who make the Dean’s List during all eight semesters. He currently serves as the vice president of the Alpha Iota Kappa chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, an international English honor society which has served the English discipline for 75 years, and is also a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honorary society in education which encourages high professional, intellectual, and personal standards and recognizes outstanding contributions to education. He also serves as an English tutor on campus. He has been awarded with the Ellwood and Sara Hauser Scholarship, which recognizes a rising junior who plans to enter the ministry or the field of education and who has a GPA of 3.0 or better and has been named a Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll recipient on three occasions (fall 2004, fall 2005, fall 2006). The PAC Academic Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes who have earned a GPA of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale during their semester of competition. In November 2006 Michael was selected as the PAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Student-Athlete of the Month. Stimac is a three-year starter and, following this season, will be a four-year letter winner as a linebacker. During his freshman season (2004) he earned his first letter after appearing in all 10 games, contributing mostly on special teams. As a sophomore (2005) he posted 36 total tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss. and helped the Tomcats to a regular season record of 10-0 and advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in school history. As a junior (2006) he was named an all-PAC honorable mention selection after finishing third on the team in tackles with 62 total stops (26 solo). He also recorded 4.5 tackles for a loss and one pass breakup. He had a personal best and team-high 14 tackles in 17-14 overtime victory at PAC rival Thomas More College on Sept. 23. Stimac is currently 14th among PAC counterparts with 44 tackles (27 solo, 17 assist) and a pair of sacks this season. Through 42 career games (24 starts) he has totaled 162 total tackles (75 solo, 87 assist), 12.0 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Voted a team captain in 2007 by his teammates, Stimac has been a solid contributor to Thiel's campus for three years. He is a two-year member of the campus’ SAAC, organized the football team’s weekly campus clean-up during the spring 2007 semester, and helped arrange for our athletic programs to assist in Greenville’s Shenango River clean-up last spring. An avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Stimac took these clean-up projects to heart and his willingness to give up a Saturday afternoon in the spring pushed a great number of other student-athletes to do the same. On campus Stimac served as a resident assistant for two years, was involved in creating leadership development lessons for the football team, and worked with the football program’s annual youth football camp each of his three years. Hel has also played a big role in organizing team community service projects. A member of his churches’ youth group in East Brady, Stimac was involved in many service projects, such as landscaping, youth camp outs, etc. In January 2007 he and 10 other members of the Tomcat football squad served as escorts at a Snowflake Ball with residents of Saint Paul Homes, a local retirement center with all levels of care. He has also volunteered at Bingo games at Saint Paul Homes. In the fall of 2002 the football program, through Compassion International, “adopted” Panthros Yacoob, now a 12-year old child in East India. Since arriving at Thiel in 2004, Stimac has been involved in sending notes, letters, photos, etc. from the Tomcat players to Panthros. "The NFF is extremely proud of this year's group of semifinalists," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "Their substantial commitment to academic excellence, athletic prowess and community service is commendable, and it is our responsibility to honor them for their dedication on and off the playing field. These players are the greatest illustration of how we hope to build leaders through football." Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent dePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. This year's semifinalists maintain a 3.58 average GPA in diverse majors such as physics and ocean engineering. Sixty-six players have earned all-conference recognition on the field and 106 have served as captains. The offensive line produced the most nominees with 31 candidates. Receivers and linebackers followed with 26 nominees each. Offense outscored the defense with 80 to 53 hopefuls. Twenty special teams aspirants completed the contingent. Nominees hail from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, including a record 67 contenders from the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 25. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2007 National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Draddy winner, who will receive a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship, will be announced at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 4 at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of more than $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening. On Oct. 29, 2003, Justin Napotnik (Sharpsville/Sharpsville), class of 2004, was named a member of the 2003 NFF Scholar-Athlete class. Napotnik was one of 15 members to be honored for his academic and athletic achievements at the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame's 46th Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 at the Waldorf-Astoria.






--30-- www.thiel.edu/athletics