Brian Brenberg gets elite national football honor

September 20, 2001
Thur. Sept. 20, 2001

St. Thomas receiver Brian Brenberg named
to elite 2001 AFCA Good Works team

University of St. Thomas wide receiver Brian Brenberg (SR-Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake HS) is one of 11 players nationally from Division I-AA, II, III and NAIA football teams named to the 2001 Good Works Team by the American Football Coaches' Association.

It's the fourth consecutive year the Tommies have had a player honored on the elite national team, which honors exceptional community and campus volunteer efforts by college football players. Brenberg is the lone Minnesotan honored in 2001.

Brenberg is a co-captain, starter and fourth-year letterman for the Tommies' football team, and has also lettered twice in track and field (triple jump). Brenberg carries a 3.98 grade-point average (4.00 scale) in Finance & Marketing, with one A-minus and the rest As throughout his college term. Brenberg, who worked a summer internship in 2001 at the St. Paul Companies, has been a co-starter since 1999 and has 37 career receptions for 421 yards and two touchdowns.

Besides his remarkable academic accomplishments and his two-sport endeavors, Brian was married in the summer of 2000, and his wife Krista is a student at the University of Minnesota. On top of all those commitments, he's made time for several campus and community projects. As a volunteer for VISION (Volunteers in Service Internationally or Nationally), he took 33-hour van ride to Oregon over spring break 2000 as volunteer on an environmental project, and his group assessed local vegetation and gave recommendations on ways to improve greenspace. He's also participated in Habitat for Humanity and community clean-up days, and made high school visits to talk about preparing and succeeding in college. On campus, he's been active in bible study and church fellowship groups and as a volunteer tutor. He's also participated in campus and community service projects with the Tommies' football team, including painting at St. Joseph's Home for Children and an annual youth Christmas party.

Brenberg is a two-time honoree on the MIAC Academic Honor Roll; a 1999 Verizon Academic All-District honoree; and the 2000 recipient of his team's Fr. James Lavin Award for Christian approach, service, dedication.

"I'm very proud of Brian," said St. Thomas football coach Don Roney. "You can tell the type of person he is by the choices he has made in helping others. He also is a very dedicated athlete and is always pushing himself to achieve the high goals he has set. He's the best role model you could ask for and is an excellent resource for our younger players."

Brenberg joins previous St. Thomas Good Works Team honorees Mark Warder (1998), Greg Kaiser (1999) and Mike Westland (2000).

see AFCA news release here