Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

No player in IUP football history was a bigger thief than safety Dave Balmert.
Balmert intercepted 19 passes in his three seasons in uniform to eclipse the school's career record of 17, shared by fellow IUP Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Pete Archibald (1999) and Barry Ruffner (2002). The last was especially memorable: Balmert picked off Youngstown State quarterback Ron Jaworski- the same Ron Jaworski who would guide the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl XV- as the Indians pulled off a 31-14 upset victory at Miller Stadium to close the 1972 season.
A week before, Balmert shattered the record set by Archibald in 1963 and equaled by Ruffner in 1969 when he picked off No. 18 during IUP's 27-8 win over Shippensburg.
Had freshmen been eligible for varsity play when Balmert arrived at IUP from Churchill High School, his interception total would have no doubt been even higher. As it was, Balmert led the Indians in picks in each of his three seasons, pilfering seven passes as a sophomore, seven more as a junior and five as a senior. He is the only player in school history to twice intercept as many as seven passes in a season.
With Balmert patrolling in the secondary, the IUP defense regularly frustrated opposing offenses. In fact, discounting a season-opening loss to powerful Eastern Kentucky, the 1972 Indians surrendered only 7.4 points per game. Balmert's contributions to IUP's 8-1 record that year could be measured by the numerous postseason honors he was accorded.
Among them was a first-team berth on the Associated Press all-state squad, which included major college players.  Balmert was joined by running back John Cappelletti of Penn State, the Heisman trophy winner a year later, and other future NFL standouts such as receiver Billy "White Shoes" Johnson of Widener, kicker Nick Mike-Mayer of Temple and Penn State quarterback John Hufnagel, one of nine Nittany Lions named to the first team. It was heady company for the ballhawk from little IUP.
Balmert was also a first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division pick, an NAIA District 18 first-team all-star and a third-team selection on the AP Little All-America and NAIA All-America teams. He was the first representative of IUP to gain more than honorable mention on the prestigious AP squad.  Balmert, a mathematics major, also earned academic All-America honors.
At the close of the decade, he was selected to IUP's all-'70s team, along with fellow 2003 IUP Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Ed Paradis.
Balmert, who graduated from IUP in 1973, is Vice President of Vinfred Interior Systems Co., Inc., a construction firm based in Oakmont.
He and his wife, Margaret, a 1975 IUP grad, have four children: Jeff, Ana, Christina and Marissa.