Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

2018: First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection and OVC All-Newcomer honoree in his first year as the Redhawks starting quarterback…Was named the HERO Sports Fan Choice Football Championship Subdivision Newcomer of the Year…Earned OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 9…Three-time OVC Newcomer of the Week (9/9, 10/7, 11/4)…Completed 232-of-393 passes for 2,844 yards and 28 touchdowns in 13 starts under center…Completed 59 percent of his passes and averaged 218.8 passing yards per game…Posted a pass efficiency rating of 137.7…Ranked sixth in the FCS in passing touchdowns, 11th in points responsible for (188), 16th in passing yards and 23rd in points responsible for per game (14.5)…Rated third in the OVC in passing average and total offense (234.4 ypg), and fourth in pass efficiency…His 28 passing touchdowns, 2,844 passing yards and 393 pass attempts were all second-most in a single season at SEMO…His 3,047 yards marked the third-most in total offense during a season in school history…Posted three of the best single-game total offense marks in school history when he had 397 yards at Tennessee Tech (10/6), 388 yards at UT Martin (10/27) and 369 vs. Austin Peay (10/13)…His longest touchdown pass was 73 yards in the fourth quarter vs. Dayton (9/8)…Did not throw an interception in eight of his starts…Ran for 203 yards and another three touchdowns on 88 carries…Threw a season-high four touchdown passes at Tennessee Tech (10/6) and vs. Tennessee State (11/3)…Completed 20-of-27 passes for a season-high 395 yards and four TDs against the Golden Eagles…Threw for over 300 yards on four occasions…Tossed the game-winning touchdown, a 14-yard pass to Austin Crump, with 25 seconds left to beat Southern Illinois (9/15)…Completed 33 passes for 20 or more yards…Completed a big 30-yard pass with less than 30 seconds left on a fourth-and-15 to set up the game-winning touchdown vs. Austin Peay (10/13)…Ran for a season-high 44 yards and a touchdown at #3 Weber State (12/1)…Threw three touchdown passes in a 28-point third quarter to send the Redhawks to their first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoff win over #15 Stony Brook (11/24)…Southeast Scholar-Athlete.

Northern Illinois: Played in six games and made four starts at Northern Illinois University in 2017...Completed 62-of-97 passes for 712 yards and seven touchdowns...Averaged 118.7 passing yards per game and boasted a .639 completion percentage...Threw for 128 yards on 15-of-22 passes to lead NIU to a 21-17 victory at Nebraska (Sept. 16)...Finished with a season-high 269 passing yards and three touchdowns at San Diego State (Sept. 30)...Threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns vs. Eastern Illinois (Sept. 9)...Appeared in the last three games of the 2016 season at quarterback and started the season finale at Kent State (Nov. 25)...Threw for 361 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 107 yards and another score that year...Was NIU’s Offensive Player of the Week at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 16) where he ran for 91 yards on 13 carries and threw for 103 yards and a touchdown to lead the Huskies to a come-from-behind win...Threw for 258 yards and ran for 16 yards and a touchdown in NIU’s victory over Kent State...Saw his first collegiate action late in the Toledo (Nov. 19) game in Chicago, Illinois...Redshirted at NIU in 2015.

Prep: Star quarterback at Geneva High School...As a senior, he guided the Vikings to the Illinois 7A quarterfinals by passing for 2,443 yards and 23 touchdowns...Was the 2014 Upstate Eight River Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year...Garnered 2014 First-Team All-Area honors from Aurora Beacon-News and Kane County Chronicle...As a junior, threw for 2,266 yards and 27 touchdowns, and advanced to the Illinois 7A playoffs with the Vikings...2013 Daily Chronicle Tri-Cities All-Area and All-Upstate Eight River Conference selection...Also rushed for more than 400 yards and six touchdowns at Geneva.

Personal: Born September 30, 1996...Majoring in Communication Studies...Son of Michael Sr. and Mary Ellen Santacaterina...His father, Michael Sr., played football at Lake Forest College...His brother, Michael Jr., was a four-year letterwinner at linebacker for NIU and started 12 times in 2014, helping the Huskies win the MAC West for the fifth consecutive season and a league title...His sister, Jenni, plays soccer at Ohio University...His sister, Jackie, retired from professional soccer after playing for the Chicago Red Stars...His other sister, Brianna, played soccer at DePaul...His first cousin, Mike Magee, played for the Chicago Fire and LA Galaxy...Mike was named MLS Most Valuable Player in 2013...He is now retired.