Schoettgen Signs with San Jose Sabercats in Arena Football League

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SAN JOSE, CALIF. -- Former Willamette University football player Scott Schoettgen ('11) has been signed by the San Jose Sabercats in the Arena Football League. The Sabercats announced his signing on May 27.

On Saturday, May 28, Schoettgen saw action in the Sabercats' home game against the Georgia Force. He caught a 21-yard pass with no time remaining in the fourth quarter that would have given the Sabercats the win with the extra point, but the score was wiped out by a holding penalty in the offensive line. Schoettgen and the Sabercats will be playing at the Dallas Vigilantes on Saturday, June 4.

"We are excited that Scott has earned this opportunity to play at the professional level," Willamette Head Coach Mark Speckman said. "Scott was a tremendous receiver for us who kept making important catches. We just had to get the ball near him and he would do the rest. I am confident that he will be a great addition for the Sabercats."

Schoettgen was a wide receiver for Willamette in 2006 and from 2008-10. He missed the 2007 season due to an injury. He was named First Team All-Northwest Conference in 2009 and 2010 after earning Second Team All-NWC honors in 2008.

In 2010, Schoettgen led the Bearcats with 49 catches for 960 yards and 13 touchdowns, while averaging 19.6 yards per catch and 4.9 receptions per game. As a junior in 2009, he hauled in another 49 passes, which he converted into 840 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Schoettgen caught a total of 129 passes during his Willamette career for 2,445 yards and a school record 36 touchdowns. He also tied the WU record for touchdowns in a game on two occasions, as he hauled in four touchdown passes against the University of Puget Sound on Nov. 7, 2009 and added four more touchdowns against Lewis & Clark College on Nov. 6, 2010.

At Willamette, he played in 35 games during his career and averaged an impressive 19.0 yards per catch. His longest reception covered 93 yards for a touchdown against Puget Sound on Nov. 8, 2008. The catch was one yard short of the Willamette record.

One year later, Schoettgen grabbed a career-high nine passes against Puget Sound. He achieved a career-high 222 receiving yards versus Hardin-Simmons University (Texas) on Sept. 11, 2010.

Following his senior season, Schoettgen was selected to play for the NCAA Division III All-Star Team in the 2010 Tazon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) against the CONADEIP All-Stars from Mexico. Team Stars and Stripes won the game 48-7 on Dec. 18 in Toluca, Mexico. Schoettgen caught six passes, scored two touchdowns and led all players with 117 receiving yards.

Schoettgen joined the San Jose Sabercats partway through the AFL's 18-game season. San Jose, 5-6 overall, is in third place in the West Division of the National Conference, one-half game behind the Utah Blaze, 5-5. If the AFL playoffs began today (May 3), Utah would receive the fourth and final National Conference playoff berth.