Greenville, SC (5/6/21): The NCCAA is pleased to announce Tyler Brueckman of Grace College as the 2020 NCCAA Kyle Rote. Jr. Award Recipient for Division I Men’s Soccer.

Brueckman, a native of Tipp City, Ohio has served as a mid-field threat for the Lancers since his freshman year on the pitch. Playing a total of 46 games, Brueckman has tallied five career goals and three career assists. As a freshman he helped his team capture their first conference championship in twenty-five years leading them to their first NAIA tournament appearance in thirty-five years. With Brueckman’s encouraging vocal presence on the field, the Lancers have made three consecutive trips to the NCCAA National Tournament. After falling short in the 2019 championship match, the following season, with a dominate 4-0 win over Bethel University, Brueckman and Grace College captured the 2020 NCCAA National Championship, the first soccer National Championship in program history.

The junior studies health sciences, holds a 3.83 GPA, and has been honored as an NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Brueckman was the face of Grace’s marathon fundraiser which raised $20,000 for COVID-19 relief efforts. His leadership, organization, and encouragement to others helped make the fundraiser a success. Brueckman also serves as a certified nursing assistant at a local nursing home, team representative for Grace’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and works as a lab assistant for biology and chemistry classes.

“Tyler is positive and upbeat in his communication and is always looking for ways to serve his teammates,” stated head coach Arron Patrick. “He is a great example of someone who does his job and shows his teammates how to lead with a servant’s heart. He is consistently full of joy and reflects Christ in his actions.”
 
Award Description
Kyle Rote, Jr. simply excelled in every area of life. He played every available sport but soccer grabbed his allegiance in his teen years, and he was an All-American selection during his days at the University of the South. He rose to worldwide fame as the first US professional player to be viewed as a superstar during the days of the North American Soccer League. He played with and against the game’s best, including Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, and Rodney Marsh. He achieved some of his greatest fame by winning the Superstar Competition in which top athletes from every professional sport competed in a wide array of skills. He bested the likes of Lynn Swan, Drew Pearson, and Franco Harris. Throughout his career in sports, and today as a representative for professional athletes, Kyle Rote, Jr. simply let his faith in Christ drive him to be excellent as a husband, father, and community leader. The NCCAA is proud to present an honor of this magnitude in Kyle’s honor.
 

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