NAPERVILLE – Giovanni Weeks, a football student-athlete at Wheaton, is the 2024-25 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Student-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Monday afternoon. 
 
Weeks – the CCIW’s all-time leading rusher – graduated cum laude from Wheaton with a degree in business. He follows Anthony Fitzgerald as the second consecutive CCIW Men’s Student-Athlete of the Year from Wheaton and is the fifth from Wheaton to receive the award since 2019. Weeks is also the fifth football student-athlete to be selected.
 
The selection process for the CCIW Men’s Student-Athlete of the Year began with nominations in April and May, culminating with voting from the league’s Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives in June.
 
On the gridiron, Weeks was with the Thunder for six seasons due to a season-ending injury as a freshman in 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21. He is a three-time All-American, including First Team honors from the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press and D3football.com in 2023. He was also a four-time All-Region pick (2021-24), a four-time All-CCIW honoree (2021-24) and finished conference play with 4,122 yards – the most in the CCIW history.
 
Weeks helped the Thunder to the second round of the NCAA playoffs in both 2021 and 2023. He ranks 10th in Division III history with 488 career points scored and owns WC all-time records career rushing yards (5,324), yards per carry (6.6), all-purpose yards (6,703), rushing touchdowns (69) and total touchdowns (81).
 
The Kent City, Mich. native was also a decorated student in the classroom, three times named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America® Team (2021-23). Weeks is also a three-time pick for the CCIW Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference Team.

Weeks has demonstrated a strong commitment to service and leadership through a range of impactful experiences. In summer 2024, he served as a full-time camp counselor at Kanakuk Camps, where he led Bible lessons, mentored children, supervised activities and supported daily camp operations. He also completed three mission trips: in Tijuana (2020), he helped build a home and shared his faith at a correctional center. In Mississippi (2022), he remodeled a Bible camp, gardened and mentored teens; and in Cuba (2023), he delivered medicine and repainted a missionary compound.

Beyond these trips, Weeks spent eight weeks in 2022 leading a Young Life ministry team in Elmhurst, organizing Bible studies and club nights. From 2023 to 2024, he served as a small group leader for the Thunder’s football team, guiding teammates through Christian texts and discussions across 32 weeks.

“Playing football at Wheaton College has shaped who I am in every way, physically, mentally, and spiritually,” Weeks said. “Over the past six years, I’ve experienced both the highest moments of athletic success and the deepest valleys of injury and adversity. But more than any record or accolade, what has left the greatest mark on me is the Christ-centered culture that has taught me that life is not about me. It’s about serving the team, those in authority, and ultimately Christ.”
 
CCIW Men's Student-Athletes of the Year
2024-25 – Giovanni Weeks – Wheaton (Football)
2023-24 – Anthony Fitzgerald – Wheaton (Men’s Swimming & Diving)
2022-23 – Steven Hermsen – Carroll (Men’s Track & Field)
2021-22 – Steven Hermsen – Carroll (Men's Track & Field)
2020-21 – Jake Reinhardt – North Park (Baseball)
2019-20 – Corey Kennedy – Wheaton (Football)
2018-19 – Leif Van Grinsven – Wheaton (Men's Track & Field)
2017-18 – Sam Totten – Augustana (Men's Tennis) 
2016-17 – Eric Rydell – Illinois Wesleyan (Men's Track & Field)
2015-16 – Max Leonard – Illinois Wesleyan (Men's Track & Field)
2014-15 – David Voland – Augustana (Men's Track & Field)
2013-14 – Erik Westerberg – Augustana (Football)
2012-13 – Tim Ahlberg – North Park (Men's Soccer)
2011-12 – Josh Startup – North Park (Football)
2010-11 – Steve Djurickovic – Carthage (Men's Basketball)
2009-10 – Alex Knobloch – North Central (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2008-09 – Ben Youel – North Central (Men's Wrestling)
2007-08 – Adam Johnson – North Central (Men's Wrestling)