NCAA Division II is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and former Chadron State football star Danny Woodhead is one of 48 student-athletes named to the 40th Anniversary Tribute Team.
Only 2 athletes…one male and one female…were selected from each of D-II’s current 23 conferences along with 2 at-large members. Joining Woodhead from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on the Tribute Team is Western State track and cross country runner Elva Martinez-Dryer
Each conference submitted a list of nominees representative of Division II’s ideals with the only requirements that they attended an active D-II school and had exhausted their eligibility within the past 40 years.
Woodhead was 2-time winner of the Harlon Hill Trophy…emblematic of the best player in D-II…and ended his career with 9 NCAA records including the all-time single-season and career rushing yards, 9 RMAC records, and 13 school records.
The North Platte native who played for the Eagles from 2004-07 was the RMAC Offensive Player of the Year 3 times, its first Football Academic Player of the Year, a 2-time concensus All-American, 2-time first-team Academic All-American, and the college division Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior.
Woodhead is preparing for his 6th year in the NFL, the last 3 with the New England Patriots, but is currently a free agent. In 55 career games, he has 1,263 yards rushing and 100 catches for 1,069 yards. He has scored 14 total touchdowns, including one in Super Bowl XLVI.
Each member of the Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team will receive a commemorative 40th Anniversary gift.
The NCAA Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team
California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)
Violet Palmer (Cal Poly Pomona Women’s Basketball, 1984-88)
Chris Wondolowski (Chico State Men’s Soccer, 2001-04)
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC)
Michelle DePolo (Georgian Court University Women’s Basketball; Soccer; Softball, 1999-03)
Nicholas Harriott (Caldwell College Men’s Soccer, 2004-08)
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
Barvenia Wooten-Cherry (Virginia Union University Women’s Basketball, 1980-83)
Timmy Newsome (Winston-Salem State University Football, 1976-80)
Conference Carolinas (CC)
Stephanie Ferri-Lewis (Pfeiffer University Women’s Cross Country; Soccer; Swimming, 1991-94)
Clint Bryant (Belmont Abbey College Men’s Basketball, 1973-77)
East Coast Conference (ECC)
Donna Orender (Queens College Women’s Basketball, 1975-78)
Brian Kilmeade (LIU Post Men’s Soccer, 1982-86)
Great American Conference (GAC)
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (Harding University Women’s Cross Country; Track and Field, 2000-05)
Drew Beard (Southeastern Oklahoma State University Football, 2001-04)
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)
Gail Goestenkors (Saginaw Valley State University Women’s Basketball, 1981-85)
Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan University Men’s Basketball, 1973-77)
Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC)
Sandra Magnus (Missouri S&T Women’s Soccer, 1983-86)
Larry Tucker (Lewis University Men’s Basketball, 1979-83)
Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC)
Mallory Holtman-Fletcher (Central Washington University Softball, 2005-08)
Grant Dykstra (Western Washington University Men’s Basketball, 2002-06)
Gulf South Conference (GSC)
Rachel Price-Bell and Ronda Price-Brinley (University of North Alabama Volleyball, 1996-00)
Radovan Chrz (University of West Florida Men’s Tennis, 2000-04)
Heartland Conference (HC)
Kelsey Baird (St. Edward’s University Women’s Soccer, 2005-09)
Collin Mayer (St. Edward’s University Men’s Golf, 2007-10)
Lone Star Conference (LSC)
Dr. Tammi Julch-Williams (Texas Women’s University Basketball, 1990-94)
Roberto Garza (Texas A&M University-Kingsville Football; Track & Field, 1997-2000)
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA)
Teri Clemens (Truman State University Volleyball, 1974-78)
Jim Crane (University of Central Missouri Baseball, 1973-76)
Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10)
Johannah Leedham (Franklin Pierce University Women’s Basketball, 2006-10)
J. Terence Carleton (Bentley College Men’s Soccer, 1973-76)
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC)
Lauren Brown (Winona State University Women’s Track and Field; Volleyball, 2007-10)
Bob Bowlsby (Minnesota State University Moorhead Wrestling, 1972-75)
Pacific West Conference (PacWest)
Samantha Murphy (Grand Canyon University Women’s Basketball, 2007-11)
Tsung-Hsien “Jet” Chang (BYU-Hawaii Men’s Basketball, 2010-12)
Peach Belt Conference (PBC)
Dr. Amy Amundson-Smith (Georgia College and State University Women’s Basketball, 1989-92)
Stilian Shishkov (Lander University Men’s Soccer, 1993-95)
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
Lori Pio-Jacques (East Stroudsburg University Women’s Basketball, 1993-96)
David Williams (Bloomsburg University Men’s Tennis, 1978-81)
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)
Elva Martinez-Dryer (Western State Colorado University Women’s Cross Country; Track and Field, 1991-95)
Danny Woodhead (Chadron State College Football, 2004-07)
South Atlantic Conference (SAC)
Kate Griewisch (Lenoir-Rhyne University Women’s Cross Country; Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, 2009-12)
Patrick Bartlett (Wingate University Men’s Basketball; Soccer; Tennis, 1996-00)
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
Selina B. Kohn (Albany State University Women’s Basketball, 1990-94)
Edwin Moses (Morehouse College, 1974-78)
Sunshine State Conference
Anna Hallbergson (Barry University Women’s Tennis, 1997-2000):
Ken Corigliano (Saint Leo University Men’s Cross Country, 2002-06)
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC)
Mindy Young-Gagliardi (University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Women’s Basketball, 1988-92)
Sean Isgan (University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Wrestling, 1977-82)
At-Large (NCAA)
Sheila Baxter (Virginia State University Women’s Basketball, 1973-77)
Shane Carwin (Western State Colorado University Football and Wrestling, 1995-99)