INDIANA, Pa. – Senior safety Max Redfield has been named the 2017-18 IUP Men's Athlete of the Year, announced Friday, June 15 by the IUP Athletic Department.
 
The award is part of the Crimson & Gray Awards, which recognize the top athletes, coaches, teams and performances of the IUP Athletics season. The Awards are in their second year of existence.
 
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Redfield was named a first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), D2Football.com, and the Don Hansen Football Gazette, as one of the best defensive backs in Division II during the 2017 season, his only year in the crimson and gray.
 
Coming to IUP as a transfer from Notre Dame, Redfield displayed his talents by playing in multiple positions in the defensive backfield. He finished third on the team with 78 total tackles and second with four interceptions for 40 yards, adding a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He broke up an additional nine passes, finishing the year as one of the national leaders with 13 total passes defensed in 13 starts.

He was a dynamic player on one of the best defenses in Division II, helping the Crimson Hawks to one of the best seasons in program history. IUP finished the year with a 13-1 record, winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division title, the PSAC Championship game, and advanced to the national semifinals as the No. 1 overall seed.
 
Redfield had a pair of 10-tackle games in 2017, including 10 in a season-opening win over No. 18 Ashland. He picked off passes in three straight games early in the year, and also had a fourth quarter interception in IUP's 24-7 PSAC Championship win at West Chester in November.
 
Sadly, Redfield's season ended prematurely with an injury during the Crimson Hawks' national quarterfinal win over Assumption in December.
 
Redfield was among 30 Division II finalists for the Cliff Harris Award, which goes each year to the nation's top small college defensive player. He was the only PSAC player invited to the NFL's Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this February, and later received a rookie camp tryout offer from the Oakland Raiders.
 
About the Athlete of the Year Award
The IUP Athlete of the Year is given each year to the men's and women's student-athletes, regardless of class eligibility, who had the best individual seasons. Starting in 2013, the award was voted on by fans in a bracket-style format. For the 2013-14 season, both men's and women's Athletes of the Year were named, with fan voting eliminated. That format ran for three years before the expansion and announcement of the Crimson and Gray Awards in 2017. 
 
About the Crimson & Gray Awards
The Crimson & Gray Awards are in their second year of existence and consist of 18 total categories - nine women, nine men - with top performers and performances from the 2017-18 year eligible.
 
Continuing from their inaugural year, awards include: Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Performance of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, Postseason Performer of the Year, Senior of the Year, Team of the Year and Athlete of the Year.

The IUP Sports Information Office collected award nominations from its coaches, with those nominees voted on by a select panel to narrow each category down to three finalists. That panel votes again to determine the winners.
 
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For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Athletics on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk.