Ferris State junior quarterback Tom Schneider has made a career out of working hard in the classroom and on the field since 5 years of age.
Schneider was recently recognized for his dedication to both as he was one of the six recipients of the GLIAC Commissioner’s Award, which is awarded to students who display their talent both in the classroom and on the field.
“It is definitely an additional honor as I have always taken a lot of pride in my schoolwork,” said Schneider.
The recreation management major believes a big reason for his success in the classroom is his mindset on how he approaches his classes.
“For me, it is just a competitive thing, school is a type of competition and I am very competitive,” said Schneider.
After a disappointing 2009 campaign in which a thumb injury limited Schneider on the field, he played in all 11 games this past season and led the Bulldogs to a 5-6 overall record and an impressive 24.8 points per game.
A duel threat at quarterback, Schneider completed a remarkable 70.5 percent of his passes as he threw for 1741 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He also rushed 97 times for 453 yards and six touchdowns. Schneider hasn’t contributed as only a quarterback though, as he lined up at receiver and fullback in 2009 to help offset a rash of injuries at the positions.
He contributed a lot of his success to the coaches as they helped him take strides on the field.
“It was great having a new coordinator, QB is more mental than anything, but I didn’t have anything to worry about as I knew the coaches were always in my corner,” said Schneider.
Even though he feels sports are very different than school, he most certainly has not had any lack of success in either.
Schneider is currently a junior and will be looking to return to lead the Bulldogs his senior year and help return Ferris to its winning ways.
“Playing quarterback, you have to be the smartest player on the field, making sure you get the ball to the right people and avoiding turnovers,” said Schneider. “Not saying I am the smartest, of course.”
By the look of things, the chances that he is the smartest player on the field are pretty likely. n