CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Former student-athletes Dan Connolly and Emily Greenwald are among six alumni selected by the Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association to receive the University's 2014 Young Alumni Merit Awards.
A native of St. Louis, Connolly became the first Southeast football player to play in a Super Bowl when he suited up with the New England Patriots against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. He was a four-year starting offensive tackle at Southeast and was a Second-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection each of his four college seasons. Connolly finished his career with 46-consecutive starts.
As a junior, he started every game at offensive tackle and allowed only one sack. Connolly entered the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in 2005, being signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After two years, he was released and picked up by the New England Patriots to fill out their practice squad. Since then, Connolly has worked his way in the Patriots starting lineup, a spot he has held for four years.
Connolly set a NFL record for the longest kick return by an offensive lineman when he ran 71 yards in the Patriots 31-27 victory over Green Bay on Dec. 19, 2010. He won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award after that return. Connolly came back to Southeast to receive his bachelor's degree in general studies during the spring of 2011 and was inducted into Southeast's Athletics Hall of Fame on Jan. 24, 2014.
Greenwald, formerly Emily Wahlman, played volleyball at Southeast from 1999-2002. She was a member of Southeast's 1999 and 2000 OVC Championship teams. Greenwald graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, class of 2003, and Master of Business Administration, class of 2005. She is currently vice president of capital markets and policy analysis at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Connolly (School of University Studies), Greenwald (College of Health and Human Services), Dr. Daniel Rottig (Donald L. Harrison College of Business), Robert French (College of Education), Dr. Matthew McKnight (College of Liberal Arts) and Joey Smith (College of Science, Technology and Agriculture) will be recognized during a commencement luncheon at Noon on Saturday, May 17. The 2014 Young Alumni Merit Award-Winners will then lead the procession of degree candidates from each college at the commencement exercise.
