University honors Quarter Century football team

Trine University honored its Trine/Tri-State  Quarter Century Team during the Touchstone and Homecoming Celebration Dinner on Oct. 4 and the Homecoming football game on Oct. 5. The following represent the best of the best in 25 years of Thunder football.

Quarterbacks

Eric Watt
Years Played – 2007-2010
Hometown – Kentland, Indiana
All-American – 2010
All-Conference – 2008, 2009 & 2010
Notable Items – MIAA Offensive MVP 2009 & 2010; 650 career completions for 8,464 yards and 82 TDs; 347 career rushing attempts for 1,535 yards and 18 TDs; 41 career starts; one-year captain; Gagliardi Trophy 2010; Robert L. Greim Outstanding Male Athlete Award 2011; Trine University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee 2016; jersey retired by Trine University

Nick Wellman
Years Played – 1996-1999
Hometown – Portage, Indiana
All-Conference – 1997, 1998 & 1999
Notable Items – 765 career completions for 9,052 yards and 57 TDs; career passing average of 206 yards per game; 43 career starts; three-year captain; Trine University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee 2012

Running Backs

Lamar Carswell
Years Played – 2015-2018
Hometown – Toledo, Ohio
All-American – 2018
All-Conference – 2017 & 2018
Notable Items – MIAA Offensive MVP 2018; 5,364 career rushing yards; 308 career receiving yards; 694 career rushing attempts; 78 career TDs scored; 34 career starts

Barron Chambers
Years Played – 1995-1998
Hometown – Windham, Ohio
All-American – 1997 & 1998
All-Conference – 1996, 1997 & 1998
Notable Items – 4,167 career rushing yards; 1,123 career receiving yards; 667 career rushing attempts; 45 career TDs scored; four career passing TDs; 39 career starts; Trine University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee 2010

Pete Hobbs
Years Played – 1999-2002
Hometown – Anderson, Indiana
All-American – 2001 & 2002
All-Conference – 2000, 2001 & 2002
Notable Items – 2,330 career rushing yards; 850 career receiving yards; 478 career rushing attempts; 31 career TDs scored; two career passing TDs; three career blocked kicks; 30 career starts

Wide Receivers

Jeffery Barnett
Years Played – 2015-2018
Hometown – Fremont, Ohio
All-American – 2018
All-Conference – 2015-2018
Notable Items – 160 career receptions for 2,907 yards; 75 career kickoff returns for 2,172 yards; 27 career TDs scored; 42 career starts; Robert L. Greim Outstanding Male Athlete Award 2019

Paul Curtis
Years Played – 2007-2010
Hometown – Cassopolis, Michigan
All-Conference – 2009 & 2010
Notable Items – 130 career receptions for 2,446 yards; 29 career TDs scored; 15 career kickoff returns for 434 yards; 38 career starts

Javontae Hence
Years Played – 2009-2012
Hometown – Elkhart, Indiana
All-Conference – 2010, 2011 & 2012
Notable Items – MIAA Offensive MVP 2012; 194 career receptions for 2,528 yards; 33 career TDs scored; 91 career rushing attempts for 514 yards; 58 career kickoff returns for 1,416 yards; 26 career punt returns
for 315 yards; 32 career starts; two-year captain

Le’Once Belton
Years Played – 1996-1999
Hometown – Troy, Michigan
All-Conference – 1998 & 1999
Notable Items – 150 career receptions for 1,891 yards; 13 career TDs scored; 42 career starts; one-year captain

Gage Corner
Years Played – 2012-2015
Hometown – Leo, Indiana
All-Conference – 2013 & 2015
Notable Items – 177 career receptions for 2,532 yards; 14 TDs scored; 28 career starts; one-year captain; 60+ receptions for 900+ yards in two separate seasons

Tight End

Bryon Lewinski
Years Played – 1995-1998
Hometown – Sterling Heights, Michigan
All-American – 1998
All-Conference – 1997 & 1998
Notable Items – 1,275 career receiving yards; 101 career receptions; 40 career starts; first-ever Thunder football team member

Offensive Linemen

Taylor Sprague
Years Played – 2010-2013
Hometown – Lowell, Michigan
All-American – 2013
All-Conference – 2012 & 2013
Notable Items – 20 career starts; allowed only one sack on 318 pass attempts in 2013

Greg Lefeld
Years Played – 1995-1998
Hometown – St. Henry, Ohio
All-American – 1998
All-Conference – 1996, 1997 & 1998
Notable Items – 41 career starts; first-ever Thunder football team member; three-year captain; started every game of career; allowed only 7.5 sacks in 1,200 pass attempts; Trine University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee 2005

Andrew Hagar
Years Played – 2014-2015 & 2017-2018
Hometown – Millersburg, Indiana
All-Conference – 2017 & 2018
Notable Items – 23 career starts; 3rd Team All-Region 2017; 2nd Team All-Region 2019

James Greenlee
Years Played – 2006-2009
Hometown – Columbus, Indiana
All-Conference – 2007, 2008 & 2009
Notable Items – 43 career starts; one-year captain; selected to play in the Aztec Bowl and DII-DIII All-American Bowl; started every game of career

Bryce Sims
Years Played – 2007-2010
Hometown – Columbia City, Indiana
All-Conference – 2008, 2009 & 2010
Notable Items – 41 career starts; 1-year captain D3football.com team of the week 2008

Adam Jatich
Years Played – 1999-2002
Hometown – North Canton, Ohio
All-American – 2002
All-Conference – 2000, 2001 & 2002
Notable Items – 41 career starts; one-year captain; started every game of career

Kicker

Per-Arne Forsman
Years Played – 1996-1999
Hometown – Kil, Sweden
All-American – 1998 & 1999
All-Conference – 1998 & 1999
Notable Items – 43 career field goals made; 135 career PATs made; 264 career points scored; 44 career starts; Academic All-American 1998 & 1999; started and scored in every game of career

Return Specialist

Michael Newbill
Years Played – 1998-2001
Hometown – Elkhart, Indiana
All-Conference – 2001
Notable Items – 110 career kickoff returns for 2,480 yards; 100 career punt return yards; three career return TDs; 4,751 career all-purpose yards; 1,326 career rushing yards; 280 career rushing attempts; three career blocked kicks; 30 career starts; 46 career games played – Thunder record

Defensive Linemen

Me’Leick Miles
Years Played - 2014-2017
Hometown – Indianapolis, Indiana
All-Conference – 2015, 2016 & 2017
Notable Items – 20.5 career sacks for 127 lost yards; 42.5 career tackles for loss; three career forced fumbles; four career fumble recoveries; seven career blocked kicks; 192 career tackles; 32 career starts; two-year captain

Dan Protsman
Years Played – 1998-2001
Hometown – Delphos, Ohio
All-American – 2001
All-Conference – 2000 & 2001
Notable Items – 13.5 career sacks for 81 lost yards; 20 tackles for loss for 129 yards in 2001; 136 career tackles; 31 career starts

Louis Danesi
Years Played – 2010-2013
Hometown – Santa Fe, Texas
All-Conference – 2012 & 2013
Notable Items – 19.0 career sacks for 122 lost yards; 35.5 career tackles for loss for 161 yards; one career punt return for a TD; 172 career tackles; 20 career starts; one-year captain

Bill Kryscynski
Years Played – 1996-1999
Hometown – New Baltimore, Michigan
All-Conference – 1998 & 1999
Notable Items – 14.5 career sacks; 150 career tackles; 37 career starts; one-year captain

Ryan Hogan
Years Played – 2011-2014
Hometown – Vine Grove, Kentucky
All-Conference – 2014
Notable Items – 20.0 career sacks for 137 lost yards; 31.0 career tackles for loss for 154 yards; four career forced fumbles; three career fumble recoveries; 119 career tackles; 22 career starts

Linebackers & Outside Linebackers

John Werling
Years Played – 1997-2000
Hometown – St. Henry, Ohio
All-American – 1998, 1999 & 2000
All-Conference – 1998, 1999 & 2000
Notable Items – 341 career tackles; exceeded 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons; 37 career starts; two-year captain; Trine University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee 2013

Courtney Pearson
Years Played – 2004 & 2006-2008
Hometown – Fort Wayne, Indiana
All-American – 2007 & 2008
All-Conference – 2007 & 2008
Notable Items – MIAA Defensive MVP 2007 & 2008; 408 career tackles; 53.5 career tackles for loss; seven career interceptions; 14 career sacks; seven career forced fumbles; five career fumbles recovered; exceeded 120 tackles in two consecutive seasons; 17+ tackles in five separate games; 35 career
starts; two-year captain

Isaac Sturgis
Years Played – 1998-2001
Hometown – Lebanon, Indiana
All-American – 2000 & 2001
All-Conference – 2000 & 2001
Notable Items – 285 career tackles; 36 career starts; 46 career games played – Thunder record; two-year captain

Antonio Vaughn
Years Played – 1995-1997
Hometown – Ypsilanti, Michigan
All-American – 1997
All-Conference – 1996 & 1997
Notable Items – 34 career tackles for loss; 228 career tackles; 21 tackles in two separate games; first-ever Thunder football team member; 20 career starts; two-year captain

Kyle Christman
Years Played – 1999-2002
Hometown – Fort Wayne, Indiana
All-American – 2002
All-Conference – 2001 & 2002
Notable Items – 220 career tackles; 25 career tackles for loss; five career interceptions; three sacks in a single game; 30 career starts

Aaron Shoemaker
Years Played – 2008-2011
Hometown – Onsted, Michigan
All-Conference – 2009 & 2010
Notable Items – 259 career tackles; three career fumble recoveries with one for a TD; 34 career starts; one-year captain; Hampshire Honor Society 2011

Matt Eby
Years Played – 2004-2007
Hometown – Warsaw, Indiana
All-Conference – 2006 & 2007
Notable Items – 270 career tackles; seven career interceptions; 25 career kickoff returns for 642 yards; three career fumble recoveries with one for a TD; 31 career starts; three-year captain

Defensive Backs

Marcus Winters
Years Played – 2015-2018
Hometown – Toledo, Ohio
All-American – 2017 & 2018
All-Conference – 2015-2018
Notable Items – MIAA Defensive MVP 2017 & 2018; 21 career interceptions; 622 career punt return yards with four TDs; three career forced fumbles; 45 career passes defended; 134 career tackles; 43 career starts; started every game of career

Jason Stechschulte
Years Played – 1999-2002
Hometown – Columbus Grove, Ohio
All-American – 2001 & 2002
All-Conference – 2000, 2001 & 2002
Notable Items – 19 career interceptions; 201 career tackles; six career blocked kicks; 62 career passes defended; three career forced fumbles; 35 career starts; two-year captain; Academic All-American 2002; Robert L. Greim Outstanding Male Athlete Award 2003; Trine University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee 2011; Jason A. Stechschulte All-American Room dedication 2016

Aaron Selking
Years Played – 2007-2010
Hometown – Decatur, Indiana
All-Conference – 2008, 2009 & 2010
Notable Items – MIAA Defensive MVP 2010; 18 career interceptions; 255 career interception return yards; 256 career tackles; eight interceptions in a single season; four career fumble recoveries; five forced turnovers in a single game; 35 career starts; one-year captain

Myron Puryear
Years Played – 2011-2012
Hometown – Canton, Michigan
All-Conference – 2011 & 2012
Notable Items – Six career interceptions; three career fumble recoveries for 150 yards and two TDs; 23 career passes defended; 23 kickoff returns for 651 yards and two TDs; 112 career tackles; 20 career starts; one-year captain

Jason Hart
Years Played – 1997-2000
Hometown – St. Henry, Ohio
All-Conference – 1998, 1999 & 2000
Notable Items – 12 career interceptions; 249 career tackles; 30 career passes defended; 36 career starts

Punter

Nathaniel Fitzsimmons
Years Played – 2005-2008
Hometown – Warsaw, Indiana
All-Conference – 2005-2008
Notable Items – 8,210 career punting yards; 214 career punts; career punting average of 38.4 yards; single season punting average of 40.7 yards; five career punts over 60 yards; 41 career starts; one-year captain;
started every game of career