The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Football Scholar-Athletes.  Eight Peru State College (PSC) football players are among the 259 players across the country who were honored.
 
This is the second-largest group of individuals to be recognized since the nine who were recognized in 2009.  In addition, Peru State was second behind only Baker University in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC), who had ten student-athletes honored.
 
The eight student-athletes receiving the recognition were Austin Barnes (Murdock), Mitch Boshart (Wood River), Matt Buckley (Corona, Calif.), Garret Campbell (Santee, Calif.), Jon Kolman (Beatrice), Tyler Nutsch (Beatrice), Tim Oehring (Lincoln), and Joel Woodhead (North Platte).    This is the second recognition for seniors Oehring and Woodhead.  Barnes, Buckley, and Nutsch are also seniors while Boshart, Campbell and Kolman are juniors.

Each student-athlete has to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must be a junior academically to qualify for the recognition.

Coach Steve Schneider was pleased with the recognition of eight of his student-athletes.  Schneider said, “Playing a collegiate sport demands a lot of time on a student-athlete in the classroom, on the playing field, and in the weight room.  It takes good time management in order to accomplish success in all areas and these young men are truly deserving of this type of recognition.”
 
Schneider continued, “To have eight members of the team honored, the second best in the HAAC, is a good indication that we encourage our team to take care of their studies.   They are here for an education and then to play football.”