DWU Football Wins NAIA Champions of Character Award

MITCHELL, S.D. – The last three years have brought a rarely-before-seen run of success for the Dakota Wesleyan University football team on the field under Head Coach Ross Cimpl, but the Tigers were honored for their work off the field, as well as on with a national award this week.

The DWU football team was named the 2014 recipient of the Buffalo Funds Five Star Champions of Character Team Award for the 2014 NAIA football season.

The Buffalo Funds Five Star Champions of Character Team Awards are given at the end of the season to one team from each of the NAIA's 23 championship sports. Teams are honored with this award for demonstrating integrity, respect responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership, according to the NAIA. These institutions and athletic programs strive for excellence in and out of competition and are part of communities throughout the country dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics.

According to the NAIA, there were six teams nominated for the award, with the winner was announced at the AFCA Convention Monday in Philadelphia, Pa.

"Our players take a great deal of pride in academics and serving the community that supports them," Cimpl said. "We try to make as big an impact as possible and it is very humbling to be recognized on a national level. I could not be more proud of our football program for winning this award."

DWU performed over 1,500 hours of community service in 2014, as the team did everything from physical work to attending community events and lending support where needed.

"It is important to incorporate character in a team because it allows players to bond together as a unit," senior linebacker Jeff Maassen said. "Once a group of individuals stops playing for themselves, they start playing as a team working towards one common goal. Throughout this season, we have had a number of close games where we had to fight to come from behind to win. I think these games were won because the players did not quit. When things became difficult, we pulled together, relied on our team character and played as a team with one common goal."

The various community activities the football team participated in during 2014 included: the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics, the Life Serve Blood Drive, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, a kids football camp and a cleanup day around the city of Mitchell, among many others.

The award is the first for the DWU football team since the Tigers took home the honor in 2006.