COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University senior football student-athlete J.T. Ford (Stevens Point, Wis./Stevens Point Area) earned the 2015 Fr. Wilfred Theisen Student-Athlete of the Year Award, sponsored by the J-Club, at the SJU Senior Banquet held on April 26.

Ford was SJU's nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), a scholar-athlete award sponsored by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, and started all 12 games in 2014. A three-time Academic All-MIAC honoree and a 2014 Capital One Academic All-District selection, Ford tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns and finished second in both receptions (25) and receiving yards (233). He is an integrative health science major (pre-medicine emphasis) with a 3.77 GPA.

Ford was named to 2015 National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society April 29.

Senior golfer Drew Lynch (Stillwater, Minn.) was the runner-up for the 2015 award. He was unable to attend the Senior Banquet due to the golf team's spring invitational Sunday.

Theisen taught physics at SJU for 47 years and was named Professor Emeritus at his retirement in 2005. He is a former SJU faculty representative to the MIAC and continues as treasurer of the J-Club.

Established in 2013, the Fr. Wilfred Theisen Student-Athlete of the Year Award was first awarded to All-American golfer Dennis Granath '13 and to soccer student-athlete Michael Coborn '14 last year.