HALL OF FAME

Mike Petruso was a three-year starter and four-year letter winner as a strong safety for the Central Methodist football team from 2001-04.

Petruso was a unanimous first team All-HAAC selection as a junior and senior. In 2003, he was voted a second team All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette and an honorable mention NAIAFootball.Net All-American. In 2004, Petruso was named an honorable mention All-American by the NAIA, NAIAFootball.Net and Don Hansen's Football Gazette. 

In 2002, Petruso was named the NAIAFootball.Net Special Teams Player of the Week and three times the HAAC Special Teams Player of the Week. In 2004, he was voted the HAAC Defensive Player of the Week.

As a freshman in 2001, Petruso was part of a defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards in a game in school history, as the Eagles limited Southern Nazarene (Okla.) to negative 43 yards.

In 2003, Petruso was part of a special teams unit that set a single-season school record for blocked kicks (14).

In 2004, Petruso led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and ranked second on the squad with 98 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He was part of a defense that tied a single-game school record for most interceptions (6) and set single-season records for most interceptions (33), most takeaways (49) and highest turnover margin (plus-28). He was part of a special teams unit that twice set the single-game record for blocked kicks (3). The 2004 defense led the nation in turnover margin per game (2.500) and in per games averages ranked sixth in opponents third down conversion rate (26.100), 10th in pass defense efficiency (89.000), 11th in scoring defense (16.0), 27th in total defense (306.7) and 29th in rushing defense (136.5).

Petruso earned a Bachelor's degree in Business from Central Methodist in 2005.
 
A native of Saint Louis, Petruso attended Wentzville High School.