By Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Since the Gagliardi Trophy was first established by Jostens and the SJU J-Club in 1993, four Saint John's University football players have won the award, which honors the most outstanding player at the Division III level each season.

That includes two SJU players who were honored while legendary Johnnies football coach John Gagliardi – the award's namesake – was still coaching in Collegeville.

The first player to do so was wide receiver Chris Palmer '96, who received the award 25 years ago this month – in December of 1995.

"I was pretty surprised, and honored as well. It meant a lot to win that award, especially since John was my coach at the time," said Palmer of Gagliardi, who retired following the 2012 season after a 64-season collegiate head coaching career (60 of which were spent at Saint John's) in which he recorded 489 victories, the most in college football history.

"Knowing it was an award that had been named after him made it that much more significant to me."

It was certainly a well-deserved honor. 

Palmer finished the 1995 season with 71 catches for 1,197 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named that season's MIAC Most Valuable Player and helped lead his team to an 8-1-1 record and a share of the conference title.

He was presented with the trophy in Salem, Va., during the leadup to that season's Division III national title game between Wisconsin-La Crosse and Rowan (N.J.).

Gagliardi himself sang Palmer's praises in interviews with campus media after he was announced as the winner.

"If you had to design what you wanted in a football player, it'd be everything he's got," said Gagliardi, who died in October of 2018. "He typifies what we're trying to have here. On a scale of one to 10, he's a 10 in every respect. It's quite a thing to be the top player in a division with so many players. But he's also a great baseball player, he's a great student and he's a humble guy."

After Palmer, the next SJU player to win the Gagliardi Trophy was wide receiver Blake Elliott '03, who earned the award in 2003 – the same season in which Gagliardi passed Eddie Robinson atop college football's all-time career victories list and won the last of his four national championships.

Linebacker Carter Hanson '17 then won the award in 2016, four seasons after Gagliardi retired, and quarterback Jackson Erdmann '19 earned the honor as a junior in 2018.

Each of those players excelled not just on the field, but in the classroom and through their efforts in the  community – key factors in the selection process for an award designed to honor excellence in athletics, academics and community service.

"The goal behind the award is to honor more than just football success," Palmer said. "And that's something that has been a hallmark of the program at Saint John's over the years. We strive to be more than just football players.

"I feel a bond with every player who has come through that program over the years because we all share those some values. But there is a little extra connection with those other three guys because I think we all felt very humbled to be honored like that."

Palmer finished his career with 3,162 receiving yards, which still ranks second in school history behind only Elliott (4,826). His 36 career receiving touchdowns, meanwhile, place him third on the all-time list behind Elliott (63) and Adam Herbst (41 from 1995-98).

He is now an Emergency Physician with the Emergency Physician Professional Association at North Memorial Health Hospital, where he serves as medical director.

That, of course, has made this past year particularly challenging as healthcare workers have been on the frontlines battling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"To say this year has been unique would be a vast understatement," Palmer said. "It's been very difficult for so many healthcare professionals. But we've taken on the challenge. There have been a lot of unknowns and we've had to learn as we've gone along.

"But that's something we're used to doing in the emergency department. It's part of the job. We have to be ready to adjust to different situations as they come up."

Palmer was featured with Gagliardi in a short video, The Man Behind the Trophy, that aired prior to the 2012 Gagliardi Trophy presentation. See below.



8 years ago (2012) - Gary Fasching '81 was named the 16th head football coach in SJU program history on Dec. 28 when he was hired to replace Gagliardi, who had announced his retirement the previous month. Fasching has since been named the MIAC Coach of the Year four times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019) and led the Johnnies to three conference titles, six consecutive NCAA appearances and a 70-14 record (48-8 MIAC).

10 years ago (2010) - The No. 5 SJU wrestling team upset No. 1 Wartburg (Iowa) and No. 3 Coe (Iowa) Dec. 20 to go 3-1 at the Vegas Duals held at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The victory over Wartburg snapped the Knights' 29-match win streak at the Desert Duals. A program-record five Johnnies went on to earn All-America honors as SJU finished sixth at the NCAA Division III Championships less than three months later: Matt Baarson '11 (fourth at 165 lbs.); Minga Batsukh '11 (his third consecutive national title, first at 149 lbs.); Dustin Baxter '12 (third at 184 lbs.); Chad Henle '12 (seventh at 133 lbs.); and Matt Pfarr '12 (seventh at 174 lbs.).

13 years ago (2007) - The Johnnie basketball team upset No. 15 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 79-71, Dec. 29 at the Nicolet National Bank Holiday Tournament in De Pere, Wis. Guard Ryan Lieser '08 led the Johnnies with 24 points on 8-11 shooting (3-4 from 3-point). SJU went on a 9-0 run late in the contest to take a 63-53 lead and finished at 82.8 percent (24-for-29) from the free-throw line in the victory. 

17 years ago (2003) - The SJU football team stunned No. 1 Mount Union, 24-6, for the program's fourth national championship Dec. 20 in Salem, Va. The victory snapped the Purple Raiders' NCAA-record, 55-game win streak (109-1 record in last 110 games). Down 6-0, the Johnnies found the scoreboard when tailback Jake Theis '05 scored on a 14-yard touchdown run as time expired in the first half. Wide receiver Blake Elliott '03 led the Johnnies with 51 receiving yards and 114 rushing yards, including a 51-yard scamper for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter that gave SJU a 17-6 advantage. The Johnnie defense recorded three sacks and four interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six by cornerback Mike Zauhar '06 with 9:02 remaining (right), securing the title for SJU. 
  
25 years ago (1995) - Fasching joined the SJU athletic department Dec. 20 as an assistant football and assistant track & field coach. He returned to his alma mater from St. Cloud Cathedral High School, where he served as the head football coach from 1986-95 and led the Crusaders to the Minnesota Class B titles in 1992 and 1993. Fasching coached three SJU throwers to All-America honors, including one national championship, and 10 conference titles under his guidance.

65 years ago (1955) - The SJU basketball team defeated Carroll College (Mont.) 87-72, and then beat Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) 93-76 to capture the championship at a holiday tournament in Billings, Mont. Dick Matchinsky '57 had 22 points in the win over Carroll, in which the Johnnies rallied from a 35-31 halftime deficit. Matchinsky ended his career as SJU basketball's all-time leading scorer with 1,581 points, and is now second to Frank Wachlarowicz '79 (2,357).