Youngstown State Penguins quarterback Beau Brungard (12) throws a pass during the first half of their game, Saturday afternoon at the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota. (David Dermer/Warren Tribune Chronicle)

BEAVER TOWNSHIP — If you look hard enough, you should be able to find a dual threat, perhaps a triple-threat quarterback in one of college football’s four divisions.

A quadruple offensive playmaker – one who can throw, run, catch and even block for his teammates, when necessary – is almost unheard of, yet that signal caller resides in the 330 area code and calls Stambaugh Stadium his home on gameday Saturday’s in the fall.

Beau Brungard, a Springfield graduate, became the first Youngstown State player and 28th quarterback to win the coveted Walter Payton Award since its inception in 1987. The award is given to the top offensive player in FCS football.

Last season, Brungard completed 254-of-368 passes (69.0%) for 2,917 yards, 23 touchdowns with just three interceptions while running for another 1,378 yards and 24 scores in 12 regular season games as he led YSU to the FCS playoffs.

He said it’s an award that he shares with his teammates, coaches and all the fans of Penguin nation.

“It was an exciting moment,” Brungard told the Curbstone Coaches during their weekly meeting at Avion Banquet Center. “It felt great to know that all the work you had put in while learning from the previous season when we finished 4-8, flip the script, have a good season and see it all pay off, everything was so rewarding.

“But while it was awesome to achieve that, that was a personal award and more than anything I want to see our team succeed at the highest level. It’s going to push me even further to get our entire team to play at the level necessary to win a national championship.”

He credits Penguins head coach Doug Phillips for taking a chance on him with his only college offer, and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich for his development.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for coach Phillips,” Brungard said. “He took a chance on me and I learned a lot my first three years. It was a lot of growing and learning, but there was a really big switch that happened when coach Yurcich came along. Just the amount of wisdom and quarterback knowledge that he has and in the short amount of time that we had last year, a winter and spring then it felt like we got right into camp.

“He was able to help me improve my game in so many ways. Just his mentality and the passion that he coaches the offense with, there’s definitely no off day. He pushes us to go 100% every single day, demands the best out of us, so he really demands the most out of me and all parts of my game, especially the passing game. I saw an improvement and it all started in the film room with what he was able to teach me in there, so a lot of credit goes to him.”

Returning to the playoffs and making a deep run is Brungard’s goal for the upcoming season.

“Coming off last year’s success, it would be easy to be complacent,” he said. “The important thing for me is to have zero complacency and just try to get one percent better every day. That is the mind set I have had since I arrived at YSU. I didn’t know a whole lot, but that mindset was just to control what I can control one day at a time because that is what got me here.

“Each and every day, what can I maximize that day to make myself better and then bring everything else along? I can do all that for myself, but it won’t matter if everybody else doesn’t get on board and we move along as a team. I’m super excited to see what happens this upcoming year.

“I made a big decision this past year to come back, but so did a lot of other guys who had opportunities to leave. We have a really good senior class, guys who stayed loyal and are dedicated to having the same vision and alignment of what we want to accomplish. The leadership we have, in my opinion, is really going to show heading into the season.”

Faith, family and football have always been his priorities, and remain in that exact order.

“My faith is the No. 1 thing in my life overall, just the relationship I have with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Brungard said. “I try to maximize each day with the abilities He has given me, glorify Him and spread His word with the gifts He has provided. Growing my relationship with Christ is the No. 1 thing in my life.

“Then it’s my family. YSU football means so much, it has been in my family growing up and that’s all I have been around. All that I have ever known, so I am truly proud to be a Penguin and I know my parents are happy that I am playing at YSU.

“It is nice being 15 minutes down the road, them being able to see me on the weekends and I just get to spend a lot of time around them, time that I know a lot of my teammates don’t get to spend with their families because they come from far away. That’s a very big thing for me so it’s faith, family and then football, which comes in third.”

In May, Brungard will walk down the aisle with finance Sophia DeAngelo, while after the season, he will continue training with his sights set on making an NFL roster.

“After this season, I am going to start training for the NFL, and that’s my plan. Full steam ahead and see what team wants to pick me up,” he said. “I know the Lord has a plan for me and I know His will is going to be best. If that is not His plan for me, then that’s fine, but if it is, then I am going to be working my hardest to make that goal possible.

“Getting married to Sophia in May is something that I am also super excited about, so happening beyond this season, I’m definitely going to start training for the NFL.”

Next week, Youngstown Phantoms associate head coach Brandon Gotkin will serve as guest speaker.