LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall wide receiver Gary Lewis has been announced as one of 15 semifinalists for the 2025 Gagliardi Trophy which is presented to the most outstanding NCAA Division III football player. The honor recognizes student-athletes who excel in athletics, academics, and community service.
Lewis was named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year as he led the Diplomats to an undefeated conference record during the regular season which resulted in the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The 2025 season also marked the second time in which Lewis has been named a first-team All-Centennial Conference selection.
Selected as a team captain, Lewis caught 59 passes for 1,055 yards to go along with a school-record 18 touchdown receptions. He additionally rushed for a touchdown during the season-opening win at Lebanon Valley. Lewis went for over 100 yards receiving on three different occasions and had at least 90 receiving yards in four other games. His best single-game performance came when he scored four touchdowns on 221 yards receiving. He scored a touchdown in every single game except the 52-20 win over Ursinus and had multiple touchdowns during seven of the team's 11 games.
In addition to breaking his own school record for touchdown receptions in a single season, Lewis' 1,055 yards receiving were the most by an F&M player since 2017 and the sixth-highest single-season total in program history. Lewis averaged nearly 18 yards per reception while setting new school benchmarks for touchdowns scored (19) and points scored (114) in a single season.
Lewis finished his career with 2,896 receiving yards to rank third all-time in program history. His 40 career receiving touchdowns, 41 touchdowns scored, and 246 career points scored all established new school career records. He finished his career ranked 10th at F&M with 3,045 all-purpose yards.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993, is awarded to the most outstanding NCAA Division III football player and recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame head football coach who passed away at the age of 91 in 2018. John retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history.
The Gagliardi Trophy national-selection committee is comprised of 18 Division III coaches (three from each NCAA Region), six Division III administrators (one from each region), 12 regional notable voters (two from each region) and six national voters with Division III backgrounds. A fan vote, which runs until Dec. 15, will be live soon on D3football.com. No J-Club members vote as part of the national-selection committee.
The Gagliardi Trophy finalists will be announced during a live show at 4 p.m. ET Thursday, Dec. 18, on D3football.com. Host Pat Coleman will profile the finalists during the program. The 2025 Gagliardi Trophy winner will be revealed on D3football.com during the week of the NCAA Division III football national championship game. In the lead up to the announcement of the 2025 Gagliardi Trophy winner, D3football.com will provide updates on specific dates and times of the announcement.
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About the Saint John's University J-Club: Founded in 1959, the Saint John's University J-Club is a dues-based booster organization of former Johnnie student-athletes, parents, and fans, and plays a key role in support of the SJU varsity programs, intramurals and club sports. Saint John's is a private liberal arts college for men located in Collegeville, Minnesota.
