St. John's QB Jackson Erdmann wins D-III Gagliardi Trophy as most outstanding player

St. John's quarterback Jackson Erdmann was named the winner of the Gagliardi Trophy, presented annually to the most outstanding player in Division III football.

Erdmann, a junior, threw for 3,450 yards and 47 touchdowns leading the Johnnies to a 12-1 record.

The trophy is named for legendary St. John's coach John Gagliardi, who died this fall at age 91.

Erdmann set single-game program records this fall for passing yards (470 on Oct. 13 vs. St. Thomas) and passing touchdowns (seven on Nov. 10 vs. Thomas More). Erdmann also set a single-season school record for passing touchdowns and fell 39 passing yards short of Tom Linnemann's school record of 3,489 set in 2000 (15 games).

He was also the subject of a Star Tribune story last month, focusing on his football skills in addition to his social justice efforts.

The other three finalists were Shenandoah (Va.) senior quarterback Hayden Bauserman, Trine (Ind.) senior running back Lamar Carswell and Wartburg (Iowa) senior quarterback Matt Sacia.

Erdmann is the fourth Johnnie to win the Gagliardi Trophy – wide receiver Chris Palmer (1996), wide receiver Blake Elliott (2003) and linebacker Carter Hanson (2017).

"I am beyond honored to receive this award," Erdmann said in a release provided by the school. "I want to thank my coaches, teammates, family and most importantly, God, for I am nothing without them. We really have the best offensive line, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends in the nation. It might not appear that way statistically, but it's because we have so many guys that play and we spread the ball around. They all make me look good and I wouldn't have this without them, so this is for all of us.

"I want to thank everyone that has contributed to our success this year, whether it's the scout team busting their butts every day at practice, the coaches putting in an insane amount of time creating a game plan, the endless support from our students, fans, parents and alumni, the training staff for keeping us healthy, our professors for being flexible or the equipment staff and janitors that make sure we have everything we need to succeed. This is a team effort, and I am honored to be a part of such a special program."

He was one of three St. John's football players named to the first team of the D3football.com All-America squad announced Friday.

Erdmann joined offensive lineman Dan Greenheck and defensive back Max Jackson.

A fourth Johnnie, wide receiver Will Gillach, made the second team.

See a full list of the d3football.com All-America teams here.