Ellis Becomes First Reiver to Win Male Athlete of the Year

Iowa Western's Jacob Ellis was named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference's 2021-22 Male Student-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.

Over 10 games in the 2021 season, Ellis was the main presence on Iowa Western's "Darkside" defense which only allowed 15.5 points per game (4th) and 262.7 yards per game this season (9th). He was the team's leader in tackles, with 77, and was one of the top defensive playmakers in the country, with five interceptions and forced four fumbles as a linebacker.

The Granite Bay, Calif. native showed up in the biggest games of the year. In two games against a top 10 Iowa Central team he collected 26 tackles, three for a loss and had three interceptions. Playing Snow (Utah) twice, he collected 19 tackles in two games, added another interception and forced a fumble. In 18 career games, Ellis set the Reiver record for forced fumbles (6) and was top five in career interceptions (6), and his 15 tackles in a game were fourth-most in Iowa Western history.

As a team, the Reivers won all eight regular season games to reach the No. 1 seed of the inaugural NJCAA Football Playoff. Taking down Snow in round one, the Reivers reached the NJCAA Championship game for the first time since 2014, ultimately falling to New Mexico Military.

With his individual performance and Iowa Western's team success Ellis was named the 2022 co-NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year along with Keionte Scott, defensive back from Snow College, who will transfer to Auburn University in the fall. 

Ellis came to Iowa Western in the spring of 2021 after the California junior college system shut down athletics due to COVID. One of his former coaches called head coach Scott Strohmeier to tell Strohmeier about Ellis. The next day Ellis was committed to Iowa Western. 

He arrived on campus without ever seeing Iowa Western's campus, or stepping foot in Iowa.

"For him to trust us and those around him took a lot of courage," Strohmeier said.

"When he got here, he was focused. He had one goal in mind -- that he was going to be the best student and teammate he could be. He immediately won over everyone he associated with. The other guys saw how he was on the field and how he was in the community. Jacob is the epitome of what you want in a student-athlete."

In three semesters at Iowa Western -- Ellis earned First Team Academic All-Region status in each. With his overall success on and off the field, he accepted a scholarship offer to Iowa State University for the fall of 2022.

Now its fifth year, Ellis becomes the first Reiver to win the ICCAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year award which began in 2017-18.

Nominations were received by the ICCAC Awards Committee, composed of select athletic directors from across the conference. Those nominations were then narrowed to a select three student-athletes that embodied the best characteristics that the ICCAC offers not just on the court or field, but also for what they accomplish in the classroom and contribute back to their school and community.

ICCAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year Winners: 

2021-22 - Jacob Ellis, Iowa Western
2020-21 - Willie Guy, DMACC
2019-20 - Justin Brookens, Iowa Lakes
2018-19 - Spencer Cuvelier, Iowa Central
2017-18 - Justin Folley, Ellsworth