Carroll College offensive lineman Nick Petrusha, a former Capital High standout, was recently announced as a nominee for the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, the most prestigious off-field honor in college football.
The award recognizes athletes for community involvement. From the 132 nominees, a record number in the award’s 20-year history, two 11-player Good Works Teams will be selected in late September: one for the FBS and the other made up of members of the NAIA, FCS, Division II and DIII.
“I nominated him for his accomplishments off the field, his charitable acts, the giving of his time,” said Saints coach Mike Van Diest, adding that Carroll has never had a finalist for the award. “He’s the complete package.”
In addition to his success in the classroom (Petrusha boasts a 3.3 GPA), the incoming senior has participated in a summer reading program at Bryant Elementary School, volunteered as a camp counselor at a local summer camp for Native-American students and leads a men’s Bible study group as part of College Christian Fellowship.
“That’s been something near and dear to my heart,” said Petrusha, who admitted that the program helped him get through freshman year, which was harder than he anticipated. “I try to help some of these kids out now that are going through what I went through, show them it’s well worth it to stick around at Carroll, maybe help them turn their life around a little bit.”
Petrusha has worked with an autistic child the past two years, and took a paid position this summer to assist people with disabilities.
“I don’t do any of that stuff to be nominated for awards,” said Petrusha, who is studying to be a special ed and gym teacher. “I get a lot out of just giving back.”
Van Diest said Petrusha lives the Carroll College code, representing all that the school and Saints athletics stand for. While fans see him perform each Saturday on the gridiron, he does plenty outside of the spotlight, never seeking recognition.
“Not everything he does is a photo op,” Van Diest said.
Petrusha was a staple in the trenches for the national champion Saints a year ago, starting every game at right guard. As a sophomore in 2009, the former Bruin played in all 14 games, splitting time between center and guard. Petrusha will start at center this fall, taking over for the graduated Andy Fjeseth.
“He’s a quiet leader, and one of our best workers in the weight room,” Van Diest said of his valuable and versatile lineman. “He had a great spring ball. He knows his assignments, and coach (Jim) Hogan has done a great job with all of the guys on the line. They’re all capable of playing two or three different positions. Getting back to snapping the football will be the biggest adjustment for him.”
Petrusha said while the techniques don’t vary much between the two positions, there is more pressure that comes with being the center.
“You’re the spokesman for the line, so it’s a really important position for our offense,” he said. “Being the go-between, and kind of working more with the guys to get the terminology and calls down, that will be the biggest difference.”
Prior to his nomination, Petrusha had not heard of the Good Works Team. He said it’s an honor to be nominated.
“It’s cool that coach thinks of me like that,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys on the team that do a lot outside of football.”
If high school all-star games are an indicator of the Saints’ future success, then the future looks bright for Carroll College.
Three members of the Saints’ incoming freshman class garnered MVP awards in this summer’s all-star games. Helena High graduate Sean Blomquist was named Defensive MVP in both the Mon/Dak Badlands Bowl and the East/West Shrine game; Bigfork’s Travis Knoll was the Offensive MVP in the Class B All-Star game; and linebacker Dawson Osborn was the Defensive MVP in the Wyoming All-Star game.
“It’s just a cool award,” said Blomquist, who recorded seven sacks and team highs of 26 tackles for loss and 125 total tackles as a senior for the state runner-up Bengals. “I’m lucky to have had the same defensive line that I had in both games. I owe it all to them.”
Van Diest is excited about the Saints’ most recent recruiting class.
“We’re hoping a couple freshmen will work their way into the two-deep but until we get them here it’s tough to tell,” he said. “We believe several will make an impact, if not this year then in 2012.”
Knoll had the winning touchdown catch for Bigfork in the Class B state title game against Fairfield, clinching the school’s first football championship. Osborn, of Sheridan, Wyo., was the state’s 4A defensive player of the year after tallying 138 tackles, six tackles for loss and one sack from the linebacker position.
“We are very proud of these three athletes as well as all of our incoming freshmen who participated in all-star games this summer,” Van Diest said. “It is an outstanding class.”
Bubba Bartlett was in Houston on Saturday as the Texans opened their fall camp. The team doesn’t hold its first official practice until Monday.
Carroll’s former All-American tight end was one of 15 undrafted free agents signed by the Texans when the lockout was lifted.
“He’s very deserving,” Van Diest said. “It’s another feather in not only Carroll College’s cap but also for NAIA football.”
Over 23 NFL teams flocked to Nelson Stadium this past season to see the talented Bartlett, a versatile athlete capable of taking the ball out of the backfield, then catching a pass downfield on the next play. When his hands weren’t touching the pigskin, Bartlett was blocking with the best of them.
“Bubba displayed a lot of on-field talent,” Van Diest said. “Then, of course, when (scouts) got to meet him personally, they couldn’t be anything but impressed.”
Bartlett, a Rathdrum, Idaho, native, was one of several undrafted free agents playing the waiting game during the NFL’s four-and-a-half-month lockout. Upon reaching a deal with Houston, Bartlett told the Independent Record that signing a pro contract made it all worth the wait.
“The lockout was hard on these free agents, with the uncertainty and the lack of communication,” Van Diest said. “But I know Bubba worked out every day and worked just as hard as he did when he was playing for us.”
Van Diest believes Bartlett’s versatility and ability to play special teams will make him an asset with the Texans. Bartlett is expected to play the hybrid H-back position.
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