Augustana College offensive tackle Blaine Westemeyer is preparing to leave Mexico only three days after he arrived as a member of Team Stars & Stripes.  By the weekend he will return, clutching with him the prestigious 2009 Gagliardi Trophy awarded annually to the outstanding football player in NCAA Division III.

Westermeyer was selected from four finalists to receive the Gagliardi Trophy, which recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service and is the first offensive lineman ever to win the award.

During a hectic few days, he will depart Mexico on Wednesday in the middle of the Team Stars & Stripes preparations to face the Tec Monterrey All-Stars in the Tazon de Estrellas this weekend on the Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico.

Westemeyer will be presented with the trophy on Thursday evening, December 17 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va., as part of the festivities leading up to the Division III National Championship game.  He will return the following day to anchor the Team Stars & Stripes offensive line on Saturday, December 19.

“Blaine is clearly the greatest player I have been associated with or coached,” said Augustana head coach Jim Barnes, who has racked up a record of 73-40 in 10 years at his alma mater.  “I have never seen a player who so clearly dominates his position.

“In addition, he is by far the most humble ‘achiever’ I have ever been associated with in sports. He goes about his business, with great success academically and athletically, quietly and without any fanfare.”

Westemeyer just finished a stellar career at Augustana and he excelled in all three areas cited in the description of the award.  He is a two-time American Football Coaches Association first team All-American, a two time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  His ‘free’ time is spent in a variety of community involvement, most notably with Heartland Hospice.

What the players on the Team Stars & Stripes roster are saying about the Tazon de Estrellas and their experiences so far in Mexico…

LB Eric Kahl, Utica College: “I expect us to come out hard and play like we do in practice. It will be a good game.”

DB Jeff Hilliard, University of St. Thomas:  “I love it here. The hospitality in this country is great. And I love learning about a new culture.  I think the game will be a great matchup. We are here to have fun, butalso to represent our country.”

WR Orlando Webb, North Carolina Wesleyan: “The practices have been going well. But I am tired, not from the weather because I’m from North Carolina but because I run so many different routes!  Saturday’s game will be fun, but it definitely will not be a walk in the park.”

Team Stars & Stripes completed the first of three two-a-day practices at Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico in preparation to take on Tec Monterrey All-Stars in the 2009 Tazon de Estrellas on Saturday, December 19.

The Team Stars & Stripes practice schedule was jammed packed starting with skill sessions and position drills. Afterwards, the team split into offense and defense as the coaches implemented their strategies. The team came back together in a light scrimmage showcasing the skills of the three quarterbacks on the squad. All three — Aaron Fanthorpe (North Central), Kyle Paulson (U. WI-Eau Claire, Mike Isgro (Delaware Valley College) displayed a talent for running the ball.

The quarterbacks connected with a trio of talented wide receivers in Orlando Webb (North Carolina Wesleyan College), Riley Curry (Trinity University), and Jared Manzer (Jared Manzer).

In addition to his great hands, Curry also impressed with his Spanish speaking as he along with Corry Stewart (Hanover College) were interviewed by a local TV station — TVC-Deportes.

After the practices, we met up with wide receiver Orlando Webb (North Carolina Wesleyan College) who had a very impressive first day of practice.

Orlando Webb is orginally from Snow Hill, North Carolina and played college football at North Carolina Wesleyan College. He is currently majoring in Business Adminstation.

“My trip to Mexico was pretty good and uneventful. I must admint I hate flying though. I do not like the thought of being in the air that long.  I had a 30 minute delay in Raleigh because the rain made it real sloppy and I had another 30 minute delay in Charlotte, but eventually I made it to Mexico.

“I was very excited to come play for Team Stars & Stripes and my coaches told me different stories about football in Mexico and how the event would be. I just wanted to come and meet the new guys and put together a team. And try to beat the Mexican team. I want to do the best I can, and help Team Stars & Stripes pull out a victory.

“I love playing football and could not pass up the opportunity to play in another game. Hopefully playing in Mexico will open up some doors for me in my future.  First of all, we need to get this win, and then I want to see what my future has to offer.

“We had our first day of practices today. It went well, and it was fun to play with new players from all over the United States.

“My coaches told me the Mexican team is pretty good and big. My school, North Carolina Wesleyan College, was always pretty small and I’ve learned that it’s not always about the size. We have some really good athletes and I know we will get it done on Saturday.”