October 07, 2019
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Trine University presented special Presidential Awards for Excellence in Performance to two longtime staff members during the Board of Trustees luncheon on May 2.
A Trine University alumna is preparing to compete in her sixth Miss Indiana pageant, with the hope of further supporting her efforts against bullying.
With its namesakes in attendance, Trine University broke ground on what university President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., hailed as “a launching pad for innovation, creativity and collaboration.”