KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Peru State football player Logan Paben has been named the winner of the Daktronics A.O. Duer Award, announced on Monday by the NAIA during its inaugural National Awards Day presentation.

Each NAIA conference has the ability to nominate one male and one female student-athlete for this annual award, named in honor of the NAIA's former executive secretary for his 26 years of service to the Assocation. The award is presented annually to one junior men's and women's student-athlete in any sport who has excelled academically as well as athletically.

The selection is based on scholarship, character, any playing ability with the student-athlete having an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.75 on a 4.00 scale. The NAIA Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives selects the winners, who are each awarded a $1,000 scholarship which will be applied through the financial aid office for approved college expenses. 

Paben recently entered his senior season as a defensive back on the Bobcats' football team. A native of Columbus, Neb., he is a middle grades education major with a 4.00 grade point average and was an honorable mention all-conference honoree after the 2013 season. He is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and was elected to serve as vice president of the group for the 2014-15 school year. He has also participated in Peru City-Wide Clean-Up, made visits to the Children's Hospital of Omaha, and became involved in the TeamMates mentor program weekly with a middle school student.

"I am very honored that, first, the Peru State athletic department selected me to be the campus nominee, and then honored as well to be recognized by the Heart of America Athletic Conference," said Paben. "My parents, family, friends, coaches, and others in my life have helped me to develop into the person I am today and without their constant help and support, I know I could not have come this far. To be named the Daktronics A.O. Duer Award winner, especially during the very first NAIA National Awards Day presentation, is truly special."

"Logan is truly deserving of the A.O. Duer Award," said Peru State President Dan Hanson. "His life exhibits the Five Core Values of the NAIA's Champions of Character program. He is a strong and positive leader on campus and will make an outstanding contribution throughout his life in the communities in which he resides."

As a member of the football team, Paben was elected as Bobcat Elite Team Leader. He has worked with his teammates in cleaning up a hiking trail in Brownville, assisted with elementary track meets in Auburn, and volunteering for several activities on campus.

Peru State claimed its second A.O. Duer Award in the past three years, both coming from the football program. Mitch Boshart claimed the honor in May of 2013.

"Logan demonstrates outstanding verbal and written communications skills which hill help him in the classroom and obviously helps him as a football player," said Peru State athletic director and head football coach Steve Schneider. "He is the type of individual who gets things accomplished. When he sets an objective, he goes after it with much enthusiasm, and more often than not, he accomplishes that task."