Four Lakers Recognized As NAIA Scholar-Athletes In Football

CHICAGO – Four Roosevelt football players were named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, the organization announced last week.

Xavier Alvarez earned the honor for a third consecutive season after another standout performance in the classroom. The senior linebacker also was a contributor on special teams for the Lakers and finished with three tackles this season. Junior wideout Alex Tran was named a Scholar-Athlete for the second straight season, and caught 12 passes for 119 yards and two scores this season for the Lakers.

Senior quarterback Luke Wilson was a first-time honoree and appeared in four games this season for Roosevelt, tossing two touchdowns. The other first-time recipient was sophomore tight end Diego Vela, who caught a 12-yard touchdown against Judson for his only catch of the year as mainly a lead blocker for Roosevelt's rushing attack.

Per the NAIA, the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete programs recognize excellence in the classroom by NAIA-member student-athletes who are juniors or above in academic standing with a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Students must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at the institution. The awards are given annually to outstanding student-athletes in the various sports in which the program is active and their respective teams are eligible for NAIA postseason competition.