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Dusty McGrorty To Receive Oregon Sports Award Star Back Named Oregon Small-College Athlete of the Year

January 23, 2004

By Rich Rosenthal
Southern Oregon University

ASHLAND, OR -- Southern Oregon University All-American
running back Dusty McGrorty will be honored as Oregon's
small-college male athlete-of-the-year at the Oregon Sports
Awards Sunday evening at the Nike World Headquarters
in Beaverton.

McGrorty, a three-time finalist for the award named in honor
of former Linfield All-American ball carrier and longtime
Wildcat coach Ad Rutschman, capped his gridiron career
last fall as the greatest rusher and scorer in Northwest
small-college history.

The Warrenton native becomes the first SOU student-athlete ever to receive the honor, which will be presented by former New York Yankee infielder and 1998 World Series MVP Scott Brosius.

The Oregon Sports Awards, which are sponsored by Nike, Inc., the Portland Tribune and KATU-TV, will be televised live by the Portland station starting at 7 p.m. at the Tiger Woods Center. Former Portland Trail Blazer play-by-play announcer Bill Schonely is the master of ceremonies.

McGrorty, a six-foot, 220-pound tailback who competed in the 2003 Blue Gray all-star game, capped his extraordinary career as a three-time All-American by rushing for 1,703 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2003. He set 10 school and eight regional records and finished with 5,414 career yards (No. 4 all-time among NAIA players), 79 touchdowns (No. 2 all-time) and 474 points (No. 2 all-time).

The all-time national rushing touchdown leader (75) finished second in the NAIA for both rushing (189.1) and scoring (14.7) in 2003, and earned first-team American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and third-team Associated Press Little All-American status.

McGrorty, who will finish his Business degree at SOU next month, has signed with an agent and is pursuing an NFL free agent contract.