The Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, which honors college football players who serve others, celebrate their impact, and inspire greater service in the world, was released on Thursday by the Wuerffel Foundation. Among those earning a mention for the award named after the former Gator great was current Florida linebacker [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag].
Established in 2005, the Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association and is presented annually to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field. It is the first major award honoring the character of service to others.
On Thursday, Billy Napier reinforced the notion that the junior defender is among the leaders of the 2023 squad during a press conference. When confronted with the notion that Wingo is one of the most respected players on the team, Napier replied, “We all know that.”
The 6-foot-1-inch, 240-pound linebacker played in 12 games last season, finishing things off with back-to-back starts. Wingo recorded 24 total tackles (eight solo) along with a pair of sacks that year, including a career-high eight tackles against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl. He appeared in all 13 games in 2021 (one start) and nine games in his true freshman season.
The junior defender is also a two-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll member and currently sits on the 2023 SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council.
Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 2 and finalists will be announced on Nov. 28, with the formal announcement of the 2023 recipient scheduled to be made live on either Dec. 7 or 8 during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN.
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