For the second consecutive year Henderson State quarterback Kevin Rodgers has been named the Great American Conference Male Athlete of the Year at the GAC Night of Champions Ceremony in Little Rock on Monday.
Rodgers swept the GAC Top Awards by being named the GAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Rodgers was chosen among 11 outstanding nominees in each category. League administrators and sports information directors made up the voting committee.
The Rockwall, Texas, native helped lead Henderson State to back-to-back Great American Conference football titles and appearances in the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Division II Football Playoffs.
A two-time finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, Rodgers was named to several All-American teams including the Associated Press Little All-America Team, D2 Football All-America Team, Don Hansen All-America Team, Daktonics All-America Team and the Beyond College Sports Network All-America Team.
Rodgers was unanimously selected as the Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight year and was also named the Daktronics Super Region 3 Offensive Player of the Year.
In 2013, the Reddie signal caller led the nation in passing yards per game at 400.6, total offense (399.5), third in touchdowns (40) and fourth in efficiency (178.64).
Rodgers completed 322-of-467 passes for 4,807 yards (8th most in D2 history) and 40 touchdowns. He is the sixth quarterback in Division II history to throw for 4,000 or more yards in back-to-back seasons.
Rodgers has played in 30 games the last three years, having completed 727of 1089 passes (67 percent) for 10,079 yards (336.0 yards per game) and 90 touchdowns. He has thrown for 300 yards or more 19 times, 400 yards or more 9 times and 500 yards or more 4 times.
A product of Rockwall Heath High School, Rodgers has a 25-3 record as Henderson’s starting quarterback. He holds the HSU single-season and career records for yards passing, touchdowns, completion percentage, and pass efficiency.
Rodgers, who has one year of eligibility remaining, graduated magna cum laudewith a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance. Currently enrolled in graduate school at Henderson State, Rodgers gave the commencement address last December.
A seven-time member on the Dean’s List, he is a three-time member of the Academic All-GAC Honor Roll. Rodgers was the recipient of the HSU 2013 Summit Bank Outstanding Banking Award and serves as president of the Honors Business Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi.
Rodgers was also named as the 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain, a community service award determined by college football fan voters on ESPN.com.
Rodgers was unveiled as the fourth team captain in the 22-year history of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, one of the most prestigious off-the-field honors in college football, during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN on December 12, 2013. The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® recognizes college football players at all levels for their inspiring acts of service and the impact they have on their communities and the lives of others.
Rodgers and his fellow Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members were recognized at halftime of the 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl. The members of the AFCA Good Works Team also participated in a special youth football clinic prior to game day.
Rodgers has been involved with numerous charitable efforts during his time at Henderson State University. Last spring, Rodgers traveled to Panama City Beach, Fla. in support of a Baptist Collegiate Ministries mission trip called “Beach Reach.” Rodgers also assists in building playgrounds at local school and community centers, and even helped to decorate a terminally ill child’s home with Christmas lights.
Rodgers has traveled throughout the south lending a helping hand to those in need. He has served as a mentor for freshmen at the BCM and leads a youth group. He has taken part in REDDIE TO SERVE, a community clean-up program; REDDIE TO READ, a reading program in the Arkadelphia public schools, and REDDIE TO TEACH, having assisted at Arkadelphia Sports Clinics.
Rodgers also participates each year in the Reddie Football Blood Drive. He assists at the local humane society cleaning pens, as well as washing, feeding and walking the animals.
Lady Reddie golfer Kendall Earp was Henderson’s nominee for the GAC Female Athlete of the Year.
The senior from Crockett, Texas helped the Lady Reddies claim the program’s first ever GAC Women’s Golf Championship as she finished second as an individual.
Earp earned First-Team All-GAC honors for a second straight year and led HSU back to the NCAA Division II Regionals for the second year in a row. She won individual titles at the HSU Lady Reddie Invitational at the Natural State Classic and totaled six top-10 finishes.
“Kendall accomplished more for women’s golf than anyone else in the history of the program,” said Henderson State Senior Woman Administrator Rhonda Thigpen. “She has made her mark in golf for the conference and represented both the conference and the university very well at the regional meet. Kendall displayed an outstanding work ethic on and off the golf course. She helped her team to its first ever regional appearance and followed it up with a back to back appearance this year.”
Lady Reddie basketball player Krystal Beachum was Henderson’s nominee for Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
The senior from Mexia, Texas served as the President of HSU’s SAAC and was also very active in all events for Make-a-Wish. She is also very involved in the HSU Fellowship of Christian Athletes and served on the leadership board for the last two years.
Beachum became the fourth player in Lady Reddie history to score 1,000 points in her career. She set the HSU and GAC single-game scoring record with 41 points against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
“Krystal is one of the finest student-athletes that we have had at our university,” said Thigpen. “She has represented what the word student-athlete means by being the best she could be in the classroom, on the court and in the community. Krystal has been a very important voice for our student-athletes as she has served on the HSU SAAC for the last four years. She has been president of our organization for the last few years as well as serving as the secretary for the GAC SAAC.”