After a 9-2 record this season and back to back Southwestern Conference titles the Edwardsville Tiger Football squad will send five players on to the next level. Seniors Zac Rujawitz and Nick Kaltmayer will take their talents to the Division I level with Dan Marinko and Curt Mueller heading to Division II ball and Trentan Daley going to NAIA.

Rujawitz the 6 foot 225 pound linebacker will head to Des Moine, Iowa next season to become a member of the Drake Bulldogs. Rujawitz tallied 84 tackles and one interception his senior year after wrapping up 105 tackles and two interceptions his in his junior year, which was two games longer.

“All the schools that I had offers from have a competitive nature in football,” Rujawitz said. “I chose Drake mainly for academics and it was closer to home than the Ivy League schools who offered me.”

Drake competes in the Pioneer Football League at the Division I-AA level and finished off last season with a 7-4 overall record while claiming a 6-2 mark in the conference.

“I really think I have the ability to play early and dominate early,” Rujawitz said.

Western Illinois picked up the 6 foot 7 inch 270 pound Tiger left tackle Nick Kaltmayer. Western also plays at the Division I-AA level in the Missouri Valley Conference and finished 2014 with a 5-7 record.

“I really liked their coaching staff, the location of the school and then the plan that they have going in the next few years,” Kaltmayer said.

Kaltmayer will take a redshirt season his freshman year at Western and is looking forward to getting stronger off the field.

“I have to mature physically a lot and then mentally I have to pick everything up right away,” he said.

Quarterback Dan Marinko had nothing but great things to say about his former left tackle as well.

“Everytime I knew I was safe on the backside and he protected my blindside so well,” Marinko said. “I think he was underrated and he could have been a Big Ten guy.”

Marinko, the two time Illinois All-State quarterback, will head to Central Missouri next season to become a Mule.

Marinko passed for 2904 yards with 29 passing TD’s and 17 rushing TD’s his junior season while leading the Tigers to the semifinals in the class 7A playoffs. However, he only passed for 2023 yards with 23 passing TD’s and 11 rushing TD’s in his senior campaign which ended in an early playoff exit in the second round against eventual state runner-up Homewood-Flossmoor.

“UCM definitely suits my interests a little bit more and they have great facilities as well as a relatable, young coaching staff,” Marinko said. “My freshman year the plan is to redshirt and then come in the season after that and compete for the starting job.”

The Mules finished with an 8-4 record last season earning them a trip to the Texarkana Bowl where they defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State 48-21. UCM plays in the Mid-America conference at the Division II level.

“The fact that Central Missouri hasn’t won a championship yet makes me want to be the guy who leads them to that championship rather than being a part of a program who has already done it before,” Marinko said.

Another Tiger heading to the Division II ranks is linebacker Curt Mueller who will head to Northwest Missouri State next season. Mueller had his senior season cut short due to a torn muscle in his leg but still finished with 43 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery in short time for the Tigers.

“I’m going to take a redshirt my freshman year and then look forward to contributing right away to the success at Northwest Missouri State,” Mueller said.

Northwest Missouri State plays in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and finished last season with a 10-2 record after being bounced first round of the playoffs by Minnesota Duluth. During the 2013 season the Bearcats captured the NCAA Division II National Championship and finished with a perfect 15-0 record.

“The winning tradition really attracted me towards the school,” Mueller said. “I liked the coaches, especially defensive coordinator coach Wright and I’m looking forward to playing stand up backside defensive end.”

The Tiger kicker Trentan Daley will head to Robert Morris University in Chicago next season to try and compete amongst the other kickers on the roster for the starting spot.

“I feel like I have a really good chance to start their but it’s just really good competition because there are three other kickers with me,” Daley said.

Daley made three field goals last season for the Tigers while nailing 38 extra points as well. Robert Morris competes at the NAIA level and finished last season with an 8-3 record.