Ferris State's Travis Russell Named GLIAC Scholar-Athlete Of The Year

Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University football's Travis Russell (Grand Rapids/West Catholic), who wrapped up his collegiate career by leading FSU to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals last fall, has added yet another impressive honor as he was chosen today as the 2019-20 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The winners, awarded annually to one male and one female, were chosen from the 18 male and female GLIAC Commissioner's Award honorees throughout the 2019-20 academic year showcasing the top student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom from across all league sports and institutions. Grand Valley State basketball player Cassidy Boensch was this year's female recipient.

Russell is the first FSU student-athlete to claim the prestigious league honor since former Bulldog Football quarterback Jason Vander Laan was a two-time recipient in 2015 and 2016. Vander Laan went on to be named the National Scholar-Athlete of the Year both seasons, joining previous FSU football recipients Jake Visser (2008-09) and Mike Klobucher (2006-07) as honorees as the top scholar-athlete in the country after claiming the GLIAC distinction.

A 2020 Wooden Citizenship Cup National Semifinalist, Russell returned for his senior campaign this past fall after graduating from FSU and became the Bulldogs' starting quarterback and team leader on its run to a third D2 National Semifinal appearance in the past four years.

The senior standout compiled a 13-2 mark as a starter for FSU in his career and helped FSU to a 62-8 record in his five seasons in the program. The four-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honoree was the NCAA's Elite 90 Award recipient for holding the highest grade point average in the 2018 national championship game and was highly-involved in various community service initiatives and organizations in his collegiate career, including taking part in two different spring break mission trips to South Carolina to serve people whose homes had been destroyed due to hurricanes. He was a two-time nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team and was a GLIAC Commissioner's Award honoree for excellence both on and off the field.

"Travis is extremely deserving of this award and has been an outstanding representative of our program both on and off the field throughout his collegiate career," said FSU head coach Tony Annese. "He was as good of a person as there was in college football and returned for his senior year this past fall after graduating because he cared so much and wanted to be around his teammates one more year. We're elated to see him recognized and he's a very deserving person."

This past fall, Russell was also a candidate for the 2019 Campbell Trophy awarded to the nation's top football scholar-athlete and tabbed as a National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society member. He completed 86 of 160 passes for 1,503 yards and six scores while running for nearly 300 yards and three TD's in his senior campaign. He was also previously chosen as the recipient of the GLIAC's Jack H. McAvoy Award, which is presented annually to a GLIAC football player who best combines outstanding character and leadership on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

Off the field, he was also a member of the Newman Center catholic outreach group, active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and participated in "March Is Reading Month" at local elementary schools the past four years in addition to his other civic activities. Russell also assisted with "Angels In Action" serving children who are hungry.

This summer, Russell became the seventh-ever Bulldog Football student-athlete in school history to receive the school's prestigious Willie Bouyer Leadership Award.