Jan. 11, 2015
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State All-American defensive back Caleb Schaffitzel took home the team's top honors at the Bears' annual Football Recognition Banquet held at University Plaza, where the senior was recognized as MSU Team MVP and Media Player of the Year for the third year in a row before an overflow crowd Sunday morning.
Schaffitzel, who also earned MSU's Arthur Briggs Award, becomes the first three-time winner of MSU's Player of the Year award, known as the Coors Player of the Year Award from its inception in 1982 until 2008. The Briggs Award is presented annually to a senior player for outstanding athletic performance, scholarship, leadership and character. It has been presented every year since 1991 to help perpetuate the memory of the University's long-time athletics director and the program's all-time winningest football coach.
Schaffitzel logged a team-high 96 tackles this season to rank sixth in the Valley during the regular season, including 42 solo stops. He also ranked sixth in the MVFC in passes defended (12), starting all 12 games this fall and 41 in a row to end his MSU career.
A two-time consensus All-America choice, Schaffitzel finished his career with 385 stops and 10 interceptions, both of which rank among MSU's all-time leaders. Schaffitzel, a first-team All-MVFC pick the last three seasons, finished his senior campaign with four double-digit tackle totals this season, including three in Valley play. Additionally, the 2014 Buck Buchanan Award finalist and National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award-winner, Schaffitzel was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American for the third consecutive year in December.
The Missouri State coaching staff named guard Richard Galbierz as its 2014 Offensive MVP, while Andrew Beisel was tabbed as the club's Defensive MVP. Galbierz, a fifth-year senior from Fenton, Mo., picked up his second-straight all-conference nod this fall after earning honorable mention recognition from the league in 2013. A mainstay at right guard for MSU, Galbierz started all 12 games this season and ended his career with a streak of 35 consecutive starts overall. He was named MSU's Offensive Lineman of the Week four times this season and carried out 87 percent of his assignments, grading out at 91 percent overall with 71 knockdown blocks.
Beisel starred both on the field and in the classroom throughout his Missouri State career, racking up 43 starts as a Bear while picking up Valley All-Academic Team recognition for the third time as a senior. The Fenton, Mo., native earned honorable mention all-academic honors in 2012 and 2013, as well as the Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award on two separate occasions. A Bears co-captain in 2014, Beisel ranked third on the club with 87 total tackles, including 58 in league games. He logged 6.0 tackles for loss, a pair of interceptions and four passes defended while ranking among the top 15 Valley defenders in tackles per game (7.3) for the second year in a row. A 2013 Honorable Mention All-MVFC and 2011 MVFC All-Newcomer Team pick, Beisel concluded his MSU career with 341 total tackles.
The Bears Team Award for excellence in leadership on and off the field was presented to senior offensive tackle Zack Cooley, a two-year captain who started all 46 games of his MSU career. Special Teams Player of the Year honors went to junior Chris Sullens, who was an All-MVFC selection after turning in one of the top single-season punting performances in school history.
Sullens ranked among the Valley's elite punters with the most consistent campaign of his three-year MSU career in 2014. A product of Camdenton, Mo., Sullens averaged a career-best 40.9 yards per punt to rank fifth overall in the Valley and third in conference play (42.0). He logged 12 kicks of 50+ yards and a league-high 33 of his school-record 81 punts were downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performances vs. Oklahoma State (Sept. 6) and South Dakota (Oct. 18) and recorded two of the MVFC's longest punts, twice booming 74-yard kicks this fall.
Defensive Lineman of the Year honors were bestowed upon James Barnes while Offensive Lineman of the Year honors went to Galbierz for the second straight year. Barnes led all MSU defensive linemen with 47.0 total tackles on the year, ranking second on the squad with a team-leading 5.0 sacks and one fumble recovery that he returned 12 yards for a touchdown to seal MSU's season-opening win at Northwestern State (Aug. 28).
Headlining a talented crop of scout team personnel were freshman offensive lineman Aaron Clardy, the 2014 Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year, and Anthony Upchurch, who was named this year's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year. Sophomore linebacker Dylan Cole was recognized by the athletic training staff as recipient of the Tough Son of a Bear Award, while senior tight end Josh Mattes was named Lifter of the Year by the strength and conditioning staff.
The event also gave the coaching staff an opportunity to recognize conference award recipients and team captains. In addition to Beisel, Cooley and Schaffitzel, Robert Booker and Kierra Harris were presented with special team captain awards in recognition of their leadership throughout the 2014 campaign. The Bears also presented special mementos to the squad's 17 seniors and individual game-ball winners for the Bears' four victories this season. Individual plaques were also presented to the media players of the week, while conference certificates were handed out to the team's four Valley player of the week honorees.
Missouri State completed the season with a 4-8 overall record and finished ninth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 1-7 mark in the 10-member Division I FCS league.
--------------------
Previous recipients of the top team awards are as follows:
MSU Player of the Year yearly winners: 1982-DE Darrin Newbold, 1983-FS Mike Armentrout, 1984-RB Johnny Longstreet, 1985-RB Keith Williams, 1986-LB Ken Braden, 1987-LB Matt Soraghan, 1988-LB James Turnage, 1989-QB DeAndre Smith, 1990-QB DeAndre Smith, 1991-DT Bill Walter, 1992-FB Jonah White, 1993-RB Anthony Pegues, 1994-LB DeLaun Fowler, 1995-LB DeLaun Fowler, 1996-RB Michael Cosey, 1997-OT Brad Kubik, 1998-QB Derek Jensen,1999-QB Jay Rodgers, 2000-WR Jeff Hewitt, 2001-LB P. J. Jones, 2002-OC Crockett Ladd, 2003-TB Cody Pratt, 2004-TB Cody Pratt and WR Steven Rush, 2005-WR/KR Michael Sparks, 2006-S Mike Radon/OT Justin Williamson, 2007-TB Gerald Davis, 2008-QB Cody Kirby, 2009-TE Clay Harbor, 2010-QB Cody Kirby, 2011-WR Jermaine Saffold, 2012-DB Caleb Schaffitzel, 2013-DB Caleb Schaffitzel, 2014-DB Caleb Schaffitzel.
Arthur Briggs Award yearly winners: 1991-OT Tim McDuffey, 1992-OG Matt Irvin, 1993-CB Willie Parks, 1994-OT Ryan Touhey, 1995-OT Jason Whittle, 1996-TE Corey Roy, 1997-FS Jeff Killeen, 1998-P/K Travis Brawner, 1999-P/K Travis Brawner, 2000-TE Matt White, 2001-TB Jason Ringena, 2002-OC Crockett Ladd, 2003-OC Brad Durham, 2004-OC Brad Durham, 2005-OC David Tillman, 2006-TE Payne Hall, 2007-OC David Tillman, 2008-WR Chris Geisz, 2009-WR Jared Emery, 2010-S Skylar Smith, 2011-P Jordan Chiles, 2012-TE Matt Thayer, 2013-TE Matt Swan, 2014-DB Caleb Schaffitzel.
