Heikkinen Receives Prestigious Gene Upshaw Award

Dec 17, 2012

Northland Sports Online

Garth Heikkinen has been on the receiving end of a cavalcade of individual honors during his standout football career at the University of Minnesota Duluth. But today, the senior offensive guard hit the motherload for players of his ilk when he was named the 2012 recipient of Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year of Award.

The Upshaw Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the top NCAA II junior or senior offensive or defensive lineman in the nation. Sports information directors from each of the football-playing Division II institutions comprise the voters.

As a recipient of the Gene Upshaw Award, Heikkinen will be awarded a trophy in the likeness of Upshaw and an automatic invitation to participate in the East/West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Jan. 19.

“I’m honored and humbled to be chosen for the Gene Upshaw Award”, said Heikkinen, a native of Duluth and a 2008 graduate of Duluth Central High School. “I can’t begin to express how thankful I am for my teammates, coaches, and everyone else who has helped me get to where I am today. This award never would have come my way without them. “

Heikkinen, who has been selected to four different All-American teams this fall — Associated Press Little All-American (first team), American Football Coaches Association (first team), Daktronics (first team) and Beyond Sports College Network (second team), started in a Bulldog-record 54 consecutive games over the past four seasons.

The Bulldogs’ first four-time All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honoree (North Division first team in 2010-12 and honorable mention in 2009), he anchored an offensive line that allowed the seventh fewest sacks in the nation (seven, none of which came at his expense) while paving the way for the third highest-scoring offense in NCAA II football (a school-record 46.5 points per game).

As a junior, Heikkinen attained All-American status from five different groups including the AFCA (first team), D2Football.com (first team), Daktronics (first team), Associated Press (Little All-American second team), and Beyond Sports College Network (honorable mention). Since Heikkinen assumed a starting role at the start of the 2009 season, the Bulldogs went 47-7, captured one NCAA II national championship (2010), three overall NSIC titles and four NSIC North Division crowns, qualified for the NCAA II playoffs four times, and cracked the top 10 in every AFCA II weekly poll but three (all in 2011 and never below No. 15).

“We are extremely happy and proud for Garth on being named the winner of this prestigious award.” said Bulldog head coach Bob Nielson. “It’s certainly a well-deserved honor.”

“No lineman that I’ve ever coached compares to him. He’s the complete package – tremendous athleticism, work ethic, leadership, passion, consistency and football IQ. The fact that he started every one of our 54 games over the last four seasons speaks volumes about just how special a player he is. When we needed a yard or two in key situations, we always, always went behind Garth. Most importantly, Garth is a quality person and an outstanding ambassador for our football program — both within the university and the community.”

Comments can be sent to sports@northlandsportsonline.com