Ex-Gopher Pedescleaux Named MVFC First Team

Former Minnesota Gopher Everette Pedescleaux, a senior defensive lineman at Northern Iowa, was named Missouri Valley Football Conference's first team. Pedescleaux signed a football scholarship with Minnesota with the intention to play basketball. However, he left the program before playing a game for the Gophers.

Everette Pedescleaux, who attended Plymouth (MN) Armstrong, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a high school All-Star game and didn't enroll full-time until January. He left the program and transferred to Northern Iowa.

Pedescleaux was one of the biggest reasons the UNI defense ranks second in the MVFC and 20th in the nation in rush defense (105.3 yards/game). He has 54 tackles, 11.5 tackle-for-loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks for the Panthers in 2008. He secured a season-high nine tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss in a 34-14 win over Nicholls State. Pedescleaux earned the league's defensive player of the week honors after finishing with seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a sack and a forced fumble in a 21-20 win at Youngstown State. He is tied for the team lead with three forced fumbles. He ranks second on the team with two blocked kicks. Pedescleaux has blocked six kicks in his UNI career.

Northern Iowa will attempt to reach its seventh semifinal in FCS playoff history on Saturday against New Hampshire. UNI, which is the third seed and New Hampshire, the 10th seed, will be meeting for the third time in four seasons in the FCS playoffs. UNI won the previous two encounters (24-21 in 2005 and 38-35 in 2007).