Daytona State Falcons Men’s Soccer Goalkeeper, Will Diaz, has been named FCSAA’s Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Diaz completed his A.A. in May 2022, graduating with high honors and an overall GPA of 3.98. Not only did Diaz finish three of his four full-time semesters with a 4.0 GPA, his excellence extended far beyond the classroom collaborating with other students and Daytona State staff members to implement various community service projects.

Coach Sasnett on Diaz, “I’m so happy to see Will get recognized for this award! Will isn’t just a great student, he has unreal leadership qualities, team first mindset, and loves Daytona State. We are truly lucky to have Will.  His commitment to excellence in training are unmatched and his competitive nature is fierce. Will truly has the “It” factor and will be successful in life no matter what he chooses to do.”

Diaz’s education did not end in the Daytona State classrooms. His passion for soccer lead him to pursue and receive Officials badges from United States Soccer referee and National Intercollegiate Soccer, making him qualified enough to referee professionally in the USL.

In addition to academics, our Goalkeeper’s success carries onto the field as he was named to the NJCAA Second-Team All-American in the spring of 2021. In his two seasons with the Falcons, Diaz’s leadership played an influential role in the overall success of the Falcons Men’s Soccer, earning Region 8 champions, back-to-back Southeast District Championships, and back-to-back appearances in the NJCAA National Tournament.

“It is an honor to be able to receive this award. Not only am I able to represent Daytona state on the field but also in the classroom. I am blessed to be able to have a great support system behind me to push me to my potential,” Diaz.

Diaz will be using his COVID year to return to Daytona State for one more season and will be working toward his nursing degree. We look forward to having Diaz back for his final season and watching him continue to succeed not only on the field, and classroom but as a leader.