BURNSVILLE, Minn. --- Minnesota State senior linebacker Alex Goettl has received the 2020 Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence for his efforts on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

The Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence, in its 36th year, recognizes the NSIC's top male student-athlete. Goettl is the first Maverick to receive the award. The Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University who served on the Athletic Board of Control of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference for 25 years. Britton retired from BSU in 1982 and passed away in March of 2019.

The member institutions of the NSIC nominate one male student-athlete for the Britton Award. The nominees must meet the following criteria: a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale); evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), evidence of participation in the life of the institution, and evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport. The award is voted on by the NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives. The 16 student-athletes nominated for one of the NSIC's most prestigious awards will also be honored as NSIC Male Honor Student-Athlete of the Year at their respective institutions. Goettl will receive a $3,000 post-graduate scholarship.

A native of North Mankato, Minn., Goettl received CoSIDA Academic All-American honors during his junior and senior seasons. He was named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy as one of the top football scholar athletes in the country and received the NSIC Elite 18 and the NSIC Glen Galligan awards  during his senior season. He also claimed the Stein-Fallon Award from the Minnesota chapter of the National Football Foundation. He graduated with a 3.90 GPA as he earned a degree in biomedical sciences.

A three-time NSIC All-Academic Team member, Goettl played in 53 of MSU's 54 games during the last four seasons, including 42 starts. He recorded 205 career tackles, including 20.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. He also intercepted five passes and recovered four fumbles. As a junior he led the Maverick defense with 87 tackles.

Along with his success on the field and in the classroom, Goettl also took part in several community activities including the Kiwanis Holiday Light display, served as a chemistry lab assistant, Echo food shelter volunteer, Mankato LEEP softball coach and served as a certified nursing assistant at Oak Terrace assisted living.

Minnesota State finished its 2019 season with a 14-1 record as it advanced to the NCAA Championship Game.

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