MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Gustavus senior standout wide receiver Jake Breitbach was named the Division III Bobby Bell College Impact Player of the Year, announced Wednesday by Minnesota Football Honors and the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation. Breitbach is the first Gustavus player to receive the Bobby Bell Award since it started in 2012. 

The Bobby Bell College Impact Player of the Year Award honors the most impactful Minnesota college football player at the Division I, II, and III levels. A winner from each division was selected by a voting committee comprised of Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation board members. 

Breitbach adds yet another accolade to the most decorated season by an individual in Gustavus football history. Breitbach, a computer science and economics double major with a 3.78 GPA, is a CSC First Team Academic All-American and a top-five finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy (Division III version of the Heisman Trophy), honoring the most outstanding football player in Division III. Breitbach was also selected as an All-American by the Associated Press (Second Team), D3football.com (Third Team), and the AFCA (Second Team), becoming just the second Gustie to receive All-America honors from three separate organizations in the same season.

The Golden Valley native was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Year, along with his third All-Conference selection, and led the Gustavus offense this past season as the team's leading receiver with record numbers. He finished the regular season with 1,599 receiving yards, 110 receptions, and 13 receiving touchdowns. Breitbach posted four games with 200 yards or more and eight with more than 100 yards, and finished the season second in all NCAA Divisions (FBS, FCS, DII, DIII) for receiving yards per game (159.9), receptions per game (11.0), and total receiving yards (1,599). Breitbach's 11.0 receptions per game tied for 12th in the all-time NCAA Division III single season record book, his 110 receptions tied for 15th, and his 1,599 receiving yards are 22nd. In the ninth game of the season, Breitbach broke two program records, passing a 16-year old record for single season receptions with 104, and an eight-year old record for single season receiving yards (1,518). Breitbach also shares the program record for receiving touchdowns in a single game (4) which he collected in the first game of the season. He earned conference athlete of the week honors twice this season and national team of the week honors once. 

Breitbach extends his excellence beyond the football field, as he is an exemplary student-athlete in the classroom. Along with his Academic All-America honor, Breitbach has been named to the MIAC Academic All-Conference team the last three seasons. Breitbach is also connected to the community in a variety of ways. The senior serves as a team captain for the football program, embodying the team's core values of growth, effort, and trust. Breitbach serves as a mentor to one of the team's freshmen players, guiding the individual through their first year of collegiate athletics on and off the field. Breitbach mentors local elementary students in Saint Peter as a part of the "Read and Recess" program at South Elementary. Breitbach reads to elementary students and spends time with them throughout and after the football season. Finally, Breitbach serves as a peer tutor in the economics department, helping educate fellow students in the subject area.

To be selected for the Bobby Bell College Impact Player of the Year ballot, a player must be selected as a First, Second, or Third Team All-American, Player of the Year award or John Gagliardi winner. The Bobby Bell Award started in 2012 with one award for all three divisions. In 2020, the award was split into three divisions. 

2012: Peter "Fritz" Waldvogel (St. Thomas)
2013: Rayon Simmons Jr. (Winona State)
2014: Ra'Shede Hageman (University of Minnesota)
2015: David Cobb (University of Minnesota)
2016: Joshua Gordon (MSU-Mankato)
2017: Peter Bateman (UM-Duluth)
2018: Chad Johnson (Concordia)
2019: Jackson Erdmann (Saint John's)
2020: Josh Parks (St. Thomas), Nate Gunn (MSU-Mankato), Antonie Winfield Jr. (University of Minnesota)
2021: Mohamed Ibrahim (University of Minnesota) *only one awarded due to COVID
2022: Boye Mafe (University of Minnesota), Brandon Alt (Bemidji State), Nate Farm (Bethel)
2022: Mohamed Ibrahim (University of Minnesota), Brandon Alt (Bemidji State), Michael Wozniak (Saint John's)
2023: Tyler Nubin (University of Minnesota), Ty Cobb (Bemidji State), Jake Breitbach (Gustavus)

Minnesota Football Honors is hosting a show later this summer to honor its high school, college, and Minnesota Vikings award winners. Full television broadcast details will be announced at a later date on minnesotafootballhonors.com.