Former Livingstone Blue Bear QB & CIAA Player of the Year Leads Iowa Barnstormers to League Championship Game

Drew Powell (6’3, 220, Livingstone College) earns First Team Selection for the Iowa Barnstormers after leading the IFL in rushing (945) and passing for 34 touchdowns in 2018. 

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Drew Powell made his mark on CIAA football in his career at Livingstone College (2012-15) and continues to be a force as he leads the Iowa Barnstormers, indoor professional football team, to the Indoor Football League's United Bowl Championship game. Powell was named the CIAA's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2015. In his professional career, he has earned All-IFL first team honors and was named 2018 IFL Most Valuable Player.

In his first season with the team, Powell and the Barnstormers have earned an 11-3 record after recently defeating the Nebraska Danger 48-17 in the United Conference Championship game. This season, the Blue Bear alum has completed 154-of-226 passes for 1,604 yards and 34 touchdowns against just four interceptions. Using his versatility as a threat, Powell also rushed for an IFL-leading 945 yards and 23 touchdowns. Powell's 945 single season rushing yards were second most in IFL history.

The Iowa Barnstormers will host the Sioux Falls Storm in the IFL's United Bowl Championship on Saturday, July 7th at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. EDT. While the team entered playoff competition in 2017, the championship appearance is the team's first-ever during their time in the Indoor Football League. The Barnstormers last championship appearance occurred in 1997, during which time the team was a member of the Arena Football League (AFL) and led by legendary NFL quarterback Kurt Warner.

Powell made his rookie debut with the IFL's Sioux Falls Storm in 2017 and has also spent time with the Nebraska Danger. Prior to his professional career, Powell was a four-year letter winner for the Livingstone College Blue Bears. Throughout his time at Livingstone, Powell broke a total of 11 school records (six of which he collected his freshman season) and four CIAA records. Powell is joined on the Barnstormers roster by former Blue Bear coach, Malcolm Nelson, who is now Iowa's defensive line coach and special teams coordinator.

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About the CIAA

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first African American athletic conference and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 13 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Chowan University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com. For more information on the CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit CIAATournament.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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