Upcoming Event: Football versus Mercyhurst on September 27, 2025 at 2 p.m.
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2 p.m.
Football
vs Mercyhurst
South Dakota State University Athletics
2024 Football Roster
Gronowski, Mark
Jersey Number 11
Mark Gronowski
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 230
- Position:
- Quarterback
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Naperville, Ill.
- High School:
- Neuqua Valley H.S.
- Major:
- Mechanical Engineering
Bio
PRONUNCIATION
HONORS AND AWARDS
2022: Made a successful return from injury that sidelined him during the previous season ... shared the team's Adam Timmerman Award as the Jackrabbits' top offensive player ... his 26 touchdown passes marked the sixth most in a single season by a South Dakota State quarterback ...rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another in home opener against UC Davis 2021 ... tossed three first-half touchdown passes and ran for another score to share team's Offensive Player of the Week award in Beef Bowl victory over Butler ... honored as Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week after completing 22-of-29 passes while establishing season highs with 319 yards and four touchdowns in league-opening win at Missouri State ... named MVFC Offensive Player of the Week for second time during the 2022 season after accounting for five touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing) at North Dakota, a game in which he also caught a pass for 16 yards ... threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns on 22-for-28 passing in Hobo Day game versus Indiana State ... passed and ran for touchdowns in all four Football Championship Subdivision playoff games ... was an efficient 11-for-15 passing for 131 yards, while adding 73 rushing yards on eight carries, including a 51-yard attempt, in postseason opener versus Delaware ... completed 10-of-13 attempts for 189 yards and two touchdowns through the air in semifinal victory over Montana State ... named Most Outstanding Player of the national championship game versus North Dakota State following a performance in which he completed 14-of-21 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, to go along with 57 rushing yards that included a 51-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter
2021: Redshirted while recovering from injury suffered in Football Championship Subdivision national championship game the previous spring
2020-21: Took over the reins at starting quarterback as a true freshman and started all 10 games en route to earning numerous team, conference and national accolades ... selected as recipient of the Jim Langer Award as team Most Valuable Player ... led four fourth-quarter game-winning drives during the season, including capping 10-play, 75-yard drive with 1-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Strong, Jr. with 19 seconds remaining in season opener at Northern Iowa ... finished collegiate debut 19-of-29 passing for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 24 rushing yards and a touchdown run ... threw for season-high 309 yards and two touchdowns at North Dakota ... topped 100 yards both passing and rushing on three occasions, starting with home opener against Western Illinois, a game in which he threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns and tallying 120 rushing yards on only four carries, including 80-yard touchdown ... ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns in regular season road win at Southern Illinois ... gained 126 yards on 16 carries and completed 10-of-14 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown in regular season finale at North Dakota State ... tossed career-best three touchdowns in Football Championship Subdivision playoff opener versus Holy Cross ... scored go-ahead touchdown on 67-yard run early in fourth quarter of playoff rematch with Southern Illinois after throwing pair of touchdown passes to Jadon Janke earlier in the game ... racked up season-high 325 yards of total offense versus SIU (183 passing, 142 rushing) ... converted 10-of-16 passes attempts for 162 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 24-yard touchdown pass
BEFORE SDSU: Mark was named DuPage Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year and earned all-state honors from the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association as a senior ... completed 132-of-194 passes for 1,663 yards with 15 touchdowns and only one interception for a Neuqua Valley High School squad that won the conference title ... a nominee for the 2019 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year award, he ran for 846 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns ... career totals included 2,863 passing yards, 1,219 rushing yards and a combined 39 touchdowns (22 passing and 17 rushing) while also earning all-conference honors as a junior ... also earned academic all-state honors in football and received academic all-conference recognition in both basketball and baseball
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Walter Payton Award (2023)
- Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Offensive Player of the Year (2023)
- Phil Steele FCS Offensive Player of the Year (2023)
- Phil Steele FCS Freshman of the Year (2020-21)
- Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award Finalist/Runner-up (2020-21)
- Associated Press FCS All-America First Team (2023)
- Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team (2023)
- FCS ADA All-America Team (2023)
- Walter Camp FCS All-America First Team (2023)
- American Football Coaches Association FCS All-America Second Team (2023)
- HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-America Team (2020-21)
- HERO Sports FCS Sophomore All-America Team (2022)
- Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2020-21, 2023)
- MVFC Newcomer of the Year (2020-21)
- MVFC Freshman of the Year (2020-21)
- All-MVFC First Team (2020-21, 2023)
- All-MVFC Second Team (2022)
- Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week (Feb. 19, 2021)
- MVFC Offensive Player of the Week (March 6, 2021; Sept. 24, 2022; Oct. 22, 2022; Nov. 18, 2023)
- MVFC Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 19, 2021; April 17, 2021)
- Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2023)
- College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Second Team (2023)
- FCS ADA Academic All-Star (2023)
- CSC Academic All-District (2022, 2023)
- MVFC Scholar-Athlete First Team (2022, 2023)
- MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award (2021, 2022, 2023)
- MVFC Honor Roll (2020-21, 2021, 2022, 2023)
- Team Captain (2022, 2023, 2024)
- 2023 NCAA FCS Staistical Leader – Passing Efficiency (179.67)
- Has compiled a 37-3 career record as the Jackrabbits' starting quarterback
- Has passed and rushed for touchdowns in the same game 22 times in 40 career starts
- Third in single-season total offense – 3,460 yards (2023)
- Fifth in single-season passing touchdowns – 29 (2023)
- Sixth in single-season passing – 3,058 yards (2023)
- Second in career passing touchdowns – 70
- Third in career total offense – 8,977 yards
- Third in career passing – 7,590 yards
2022: Made a successful return from injury that sidelined him during the previous season ... shared the team's Adam Timmerman Award as the Jackrabbits' top offensive player ... his 26 touchdown passes marked the sixth most in a single season by a South Dakota State quarterback ...rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another in home opener against UC Davis 2021 ... tossed three first-half touchdown passes and ran for another score to share team's Offensive Player of the Week award in Beef Bowl victory over Butler ... honored as Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week after completing 22-of-29 passes while establishing season highs with 319 yards and four touchdowns in league-opening win at Missouri State ... named MVFC Offensive Player of the Week for second time during the 2022 season after accounting for five touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing) at North Dakota, a game in which he also caught a pass for 16 yards ... threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns on 22-for-28 passing in Hobo Day game versus Indiana State ... passed and ran for touchdowns in all four Football Championship Subdivision playoff games ... was an efficient 11-for-15 passing for 131 yards, while adding 73 rushing yards on eight carries, including a 51-yard attempt, in postseason opener versus Delaware ... completed 10-of-13 attempts for 189 yards and two touchdowns through the air in semifinal victory over Montana State ... named Most Outstanding Player of the national championship game versus North Dakota State following a performance in which he completed 14-of-21 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, to go along with 57 rushing yards that included a 51-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter
2021: Redshirted while recovering from injury suffered in Football Championship Subdivision national championship game the previous spring
2020-21: Took over the reins at starting quarterback as a true freshman and started all 10 games en route to earning numerous team, conference and national accolades ... selected as recipient of the Jim Langer Award as team Most Valuable Player ... led four fourth-quarter game-winning drives during the season, including capping 10-play, 75-yard drive with 1-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Strong, Jr. with 19 seconds remaining in season opener at Northern Iowa ... finished collegiate debut 19-of-29 passing for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 24 rushing yards and a touchdown run ... threw for season-high 309 yards and two touchdowns at North Dakota ... topped 100 yards both passing and rushing on three occasions, starting with home opener against Western Illinois, a game in which he threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns and tallying 120 rushing yards on only four carries, including 80-yard touchdown ... ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns in regular season road win at Southern Illinois ... gained 126 yards on 16 carries and completed 10-of-14 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown in regular season finale at North Dakota State ... tossed career-best three touchdowns in Football Championship Subdivision playoff opener versus Holy Cross ... scored go-ahead touchdown on 67-yard run early in fourth quarter of playoff rematch with Southern Illinois after throwing pair of touchdown passes to Jadon Janke earlier in the game ... racked up season-high 325 yards of total offense versus SIU (183 passing, 142 rushing) ... converted 10-of-16 passes attempts for 162 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 24-yard touchdown pass
BEFORE SDSU: Mark was named DuPage Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year and earned all-state honors from the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association as a senior ... completed 132-of-194 passes for 1,663 yards with 15 touchdowns and only one interception for a Neuqua Valley High School squad that won the conference title ... a nominee for the 2019 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year award, he ran for 846 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns ... career totals included 2,863 passing yards, 1,219 rushing yards and a combined 39 touchdowns (22 passing and 17 rushing) while also earning all-conference honors as a junior ... also earned academic all-state honors in football and received academic all-conference recognition in both basketball and baseball
Dan Jackson Weekly Press Conference (09.23.2025)
Tuesday, September 23
Football Postgame Press Conference vs Drake (09.13.2025)
Sunday, September 14
Football Highlights vs Drake (09.13.2025)
Sunday, September 14
Gameday Eve - Drake (09.12.2025)
Wednesday, September 10
