WOW! Our player Tobias Pellio at Monroe College (New York) is the 2020 David Rowlands Male Student-Athlete of the Year, determined by the national committee of the NJCAA. Tobias led his team to the 2019 NJCAA Division I Men’s Soccer championship in an outstanding manner.
Born in Hagen, Germany, Pellio was part of a team that went undefeated through the 2019 season. The central midfielder knew how to dominate in both the offensive and defensive areas and played a key role in an outstanding season.
Pellio scored twice in the semi-final and in the final minutes of the final to give the Mustangs a 2-1 victory.
Tobias’ dominant sophomore season led to a series of honors and awards. He was named NJCAA Men’s Soccer National Player of the Year after earning NJCAA DI Men’s Soccer First Team All-America recognition and becoming NJCAA National Tournament MVP.
Tobias also impressed outside of soccer and landed on the Dean’s List twice with a GPA of 3.56.
The combination of sporting and academic achievements has now led Pellio to NCAA Division 2 Nova Southeastern University in Florida, where he will receive a full scholarship for the coming year.
Monroe’s head coach Marcus DiBernardo said, “Tobias is the perfect example of a player who has excelled in both areas [athletics and academics]. He has cemented his spot as one of the all-time greatest student-athletes that Monroe has ever had. It has truly been a pleasure for me to coach such a fine student-athlete.”
Pellio becomes not only the first Monroe student-athlete to earn a NJCAA Student-Athlete of the Year award, but also the first men’s soccer student-athlete to earn the Rowlands award.
Tobias’ Player Profile > athletesusa.org/user/tobias-pellio
Free College Soccer Evaluation > warubi-sports.com/college-apply/
I am a German native based in the USA. As a former Bundesliga academy player in Germany and an NCAA soccer player at Hofstra University in New York and CSU in Los Angeles on a full scholarship, I have experienced the pros and cons of both cultures. Soccer/Football has changed my life in so many positive ways, and I am dedicated to sharing my experience with the next generation of players.
