Five Coyotes named NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Five Kansas Wesleyan Football players have been named as NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes, as released by the NAIA on Monday. Brent Deibert, Darell Grames, Scott L’Ecuyer, Gabriel Pena, and Eric Ritzman were all selected for the honor, which requires student athletes to be of junior or senior academic status, a varsity team member, and have at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average.

Deibert

Deibert (6-2, 225, Jr., DE, Colby, Kan.) had 17 tackles for the Coyotes from the defensive end position this season. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Grames

Grames (6-0, 215, Jr., RB, Red Bluff, Calif.) led the NAIA in rushing yards per game at 162.8, nearly nine yards ahead of the next closest player. Grames also racked up the second highest rushing season in KWU history, just missing NAIA Hall of Famer Charles Jessamy’s record of 1,665 by 37 yards. Grames was named KCAC Offensive Player of the Year, and also has been recognized at the national level, receiving NAIAFOOTBALL.NET First Team All-American honors. Grames was also named to the Don Hansen Football Gazette NAIA First Team All-Central Region and a Football Gazette First Team NAIA All-American. He was also named as Honorable Mention NAIA All-American.

L'Ecuyer

L’Ecuyer (6-2, 205, Sr., LB, Valley Center, Kan.) led the Coyotes with 74 tackles this season. He also had 12 tackles for loss. He also recorded 1.5 sacks, and pulled down an interception against the Bethany Swedes in his final game. L’Ecuyer missed the entire 2004 season with a knee injury, and came back full strength this season.

Pena

Pena (6-1, 240, Sr., DL, Irving, Texas) recorded 24 tackles while playing defensive line for the Coyotes this season. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack during the 2005 season.

Ritzman

Ritzman (6-0, 200, Jr., FB, Shawnee Mission, Kan.) spent a majority of the 2005 season blocking for Coyote running backs Darell Grames and Jarod Barrett.

“Having five quality football players be named as All-American Scholar Athletes says a lot for the type of athlete we look for at KWU,” KWU coach Dave Dallas said. “We look for student-athletes that excel not only of the field of play, but in the classroom. We emphasize academics over athletics to each and every player, and it shows a lot for our program to have these players earn this honor.”

The Coyotes finished the 2005 campaign with an 8-2 record overall, going 7-2 in the KCAC. It was the first 8-win season for KWU since their championship season of 2002.

-- KWU SI --