Montana State’s Schreibeis wins Buchanan Award

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BOZEMAN, Mont. — Caleb Schreibeis was recruited to walk on to the Montana State football team, eventually earned a scholarship, was named a captain and, on Monday, was named the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

The Sports Network announced that Schreibeis, a senior defensive end from Billings, is the recipient of this year’s Buck Buchanan Award.

“I think this award is a fabulous testimony to Caleb’s work ethic and his determination,” said MSU coach Rob Ash. “He came here as a walk-on and had to fight and scratch and claw for every bit of playing time he got, gradually earning scholarship money, winning a starting job, and becoming one of the best players in the country. This is a tremendous story.”

Schreibeis is the first MSU player to win the award, but is the fifth from the Big Sky Conference.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet, the magnitude of it, but the Buchanan Award is a great honor,” Schreibeis said Monday. “I’m proud and humbled.”

Schreibeis led the FCS with eight forced fumbles this season. He led the Big Sky with 12.5 sacks and 15 tackles for a loss. He tallied 59 tackles with seven quarterback hurries and four passes broken up. And he was not among those being considered for the award until the final ballot was released.

The Buchanan Award is named for Junious “Buck” Buchanan, who walked on to the Grambling football team, eventually earning a scholarship at the NAIA school before going on to play in the NFL.

Schreibeis said one of his favorite memories of playing for the Bobcats came against South Dakota in 2009 when he recovered a fumble caused by his brother, Joe, setting up an MSU touchdown.

He’s also grateful for the friendships he’s made.

“I’m proud that I played for Montana State,” he said.

Previous Big Sky winners of the Buchanan Award are: Idaho State’s Jared Allen (2003); Montana’s Kroy Biermann (2007); Eastern Washington’s Greg Peach (2008) and EWU’s J.C. Sherritt (2010).

Allen is a defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings and Biermann is a defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons. Peach plays defensive end for the Hamilton TigerCats and Sherritt is a linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos, both of the Canadian Football League.

Schreibeis received 35 first-place votes, 18 second-place votes and 14 third-place votes to finish with 319 points. Jeremy Kimbrough of Appalachian State was second with 287 points in balloting by sports information directors and media that cover the FCS.

Montana’s Jordan Tripp finished 10th.

Tags: montana state bobcats, college football, sports