2015 All-GLIAC Football Release
Joe Reverman didn't start the 2015 season as the starting tailback for the Hillsdale College football team. But boy, did he ever finish it.
Reverman was named the 2015 GLIAC Freshman of the Year in a vote of conference coaches. He was also named Second-Team All-GLIAC, as part of the postseason awards release, which came out Tuesday afternoon. He is the first Charger football player to ever win GLIAC Football Freshman of the Year.
Through the season's first six weeks, Reverman carried the ball a total of 33 times for 183 yards. That's not a bad total - 5.5 yards per carry. But it would be dwarfed by what he would do in the second half of the season.
In an Oct. 17 loss at Ashland, Reverman ran for 92 yards on 19 carries. Ninety-two yards rushing is a solid total for any college back, but it would end up being his least productive game through the rest of the season.
The Chargers snapped a five-game losing streak on Oct. 24 behind an historic rushing game from Reverman. He carried the ball 38 times for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 276 yards on the ground were the second-most in a game in school history, and was as definitive of a statement possible that there was a new sheriff in town.
In the team's next game, he ran for 224 yards in a 26-0 shutout win at Saginaw Valley State. His 500 rushing yards in those two games were the second-highest two-game total in school history, trailing the 502 yards from Joe Glendening in 2011.
Reverman put a perfect cap on the season by rushing for all 25 yards in overtime (196 overall) in Hillsdale's 31-24 win over Wayne State Nov. 14. The next day, Reverman became the first freshman in school history to be named the Roy Beck Most Valuable Player Award winner.
Remarkably, Reverman played several snaps at defensive back for the Chargers during practice early in the season. However, after this season and this award, reps at defensive back will probably have to go to other players.
Reverman is the second Charger athlete in 2015-16 to be named a conference freshman of the year, joining women's tennis player Halle Hyman.
Six other players earned honorable mention All-GLIAC honors: Alex Fogt, Danny Drummond, Steven Mette, Roger Stewart, David Galginaitis and Kegan Smith.