Thunder Football
2010 Gagliardi Trophy Winner - Eric Watt
3-Time MIAA Champions, 2008-10
3-Consecutive NCAA Playoff Appearances
NCAA Sweet Sixteen 2009 and 2010
2012 Season in review
After a rocky start to their season, the Thunder football team closed out their season on a three-game winning streak to finish the year 7-3 for their sixth straight winning season as they finished second in the MIAA with a 5-1 record. The squad also won their sixth straight season-opener, defeating Manchester. The Thunder bounced back with a home win over NAIA Taylor which made head coach Matt Land the winningest coach in school history with 48 victories. On homecoming, the Thunder held off a late charge by defending conference champion Albion College to win 27-22. As a team, the Thunder finished the year ranked 5th in Division III for punter return average and 17th in kickoff return average. Individually, senior Myron Puryear ranked 17th in the nation in kickoff return average.
The football squad 12 All-Conference honors including wide receiver/return specialist JaVontae Hence being named the Offensive Most Valuable Player and wide receiver Mario Brown being named the Pete Schmidt Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
Hence was also honored as an All-MIAA First Team selections as a both a wide receiver and return specialist joining quarterback Ryan Hargraves, left tackle Taylor Sprague, left guard Andrew Webster, defensive end Louis Danesi, outside linebacker Caleb Nitz, cornerback Myron Puryear and kicker Tyler Keck. The nine first team honors were three more than anyone other school. Named to the All-MIAA Second Team were right tackle Kenny Kill, and safeties Blaek Combs and Tyler Guzy.
Four Trine University football players earned D3football.com All-North Region honors led by MIAA Offensive Player of the Year JaVontae Hence. Trine′s four honorees were more than the other six Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association schools combined. Hence was the only MIAA offensive player to be named to the second team as the senior earned honors as a returner. Earning third team honors were kicker Tyler Keck, guard Andrew Webster and two-time honoree cornerback Myron Puryear. The football team closed out their post-season honors as Beyond Sports Network (BSN) named Hence and Keck NCAA Division III All–Americans.
