QUICK TO CATCH ON: PRINGLE NAMED ALL-AMERICAN AT WESTMINSTER

Two years ago, Perryville-native Scott Pingel wasn't playing college football, he'd never played wide receiver and he certainly hadn't considered attending Westminster College in Fulton.

Now he's associated with all of those things, with one more description added to the above ...

Pingel is an All-American.

The 1995 St. Vincent graduate was recently named to two different All-American teams, becoming the first player in the 37-year history of Westminster football to receive the honor.

Pingel earned first team honors on the 20th Annual Hewlett-Packard Division III All-American Team and is a second-team member on the Football Gazette NCAA Division III All-American Team.

"I'm a very fortunate man to have been able to spend two years with Scott and I look forward to the next two with great anticipation," said Westminster coach Ralph Young. "He's a fine kid not only on, but off the field.

Pingel -- a 6-foot-2, 175-pound sophomore -- caught a school-record 98 passes for 1,420 yards and 17 touchdowns as the Blue Jays went 6-4 this season. He finished the year ranked second nationally in receptions (9.8) and yards per game (142), and 13th in scoring with 11.8 points a game. He also fell just two pass receptions shy of becoming only the third player in the history of Division III football to catch 100 passes.

"To do what he did as a sophomore is a heck of a feat," Young said. "Defenses tried to take him out of our passing attack and didn't accomplish it. He's a very competitive young man."

And he's also a modest man. Getting Pingel to talk about his accomplishments is no easy feat.

"The team's first in everything," Pingel said. "It sounds corny, but I don't care about this (individual) stuff much."

Pingel's just happy to be back on the gridiron.

Despite leading St. Vincent to its first playoff appearance in nine years as an all-state quarterback his senior year, Pingel did not receive an athletic scholarship after graduation.

But after a year of school at Mizzou, an opportunity to get back into football opened up down the road in Fulton.

Young, a Southeast assistant from 1983-88 and former arena football coach for the Iowa Barnstormers, was resurrecting the football program at Westminster after a 65-year hiatus. He'd heard of Pingel through a former coach at Perryville High.

"Scott missed football and by us starting again, it was an opportunity for him to get in on the ground floor," Young said.

Pingel started at the bottom alright. Buried deep on the quarterback depth chart early in practice, Pingel started working at receiver to keep busy.

"I was probably the fifth-string quarterback when I got in here and I was bored so I decided to run some routs," said Pingel. "I asked (receiver's coach) Tony Galbreath if I could switch (to receiver) and he said to talk to coach Young. I've been playing receiver ever since."

Said Young of Pingel's first day of catching -- not throwing -- passes, "After practice we thought `my heavens, we might have our best receiver on the field here.'"

Pingel led Westminster in receiving his freshman year as the Blue Jays went 5-4 in their first season of football since 1931. In just two seasons, Pingel has amassed 170 catches, 2,303 yards and 25 TDs.

"As far as the numbers, I'm lucky," Pingel said. "Our offense is passing-orientated. If we throw the ball 35-50 times a game, I think I'm going to get some of the catches.

"If I was in another offense, I doubt I'd have this kind of success."

But Pingel's coach thinks he could play in any offense -- on just about any collegiate level -- and succeed just as well. Young compares Pingel to former Oakland Raiders receiver Fred Biletnikoff.

"Scott could play at a lot of levels rather than Division III," said Young. "Even though Scott doesn't run a 4.5 (40-yard dash), trust me, he can play at the Division II and I-AA levels."

Which begs the question, what in the world is an athlete of Pingel's ability, playing at the Division III level for?

Don't ask Pingel, because he's not looking to leave Westminster. Besides, the Mathematics and Education major is also starting his second season for the Blue Jays' basketball team.

"I'm not really looking into (transferring) because I've got two years left and I don't feel like wasting a year of eligibility transferring," Pingel said. "I'm happy where I'm at. I like it here a lot."

And Young is looking forward to having Pingel's all-american talents -- and attitude -- around for the next couple of years.

"Scott exemplifies what you really love to have in an athlete," said Young. "He's a `we' man and not a `me' man. He's a consummate team player."

But that doesn't mean he's not competitive. When the game's on the line, Pingel likes to have the ball in his hands.

"Scott will not talk about himself, but when we need a first down or a touchdown or a 2-point conversion he's asking to have the ball put in his hands.

"And when there's a go-to situation, (the defense) better double-team him because that's who I'm going to."

Besides the offensive numbers he puts up every week, Pingel's teammates also look to him for leadership. He was recently named as one of the Blue Jays' football captains for the third year in a row.

Said Young: "I'd sum him up by saying, 'Scott Pingel is a winner.' He's a coach's dream."