Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean has been selected as an Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
He is one of 10 males to be honored by the publication, which also selected 10 females as well. There were nearly 1,000 nominees for the honor.
In addition to Dean, Georgia women’s soccer player Cecily Stoute was honored as one of the 10 females.
Background on the award via GeorgiaDogs:
In addition to their athletic ability, the students named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars are students of color who have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, are at least sophomores academically, and have been active on their campuses or in their communities. Of the nearly 1,000 scholar-athletes nominated, one male and one female athlete will be selected as Sports Scholar of the Year. The 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year semifinalists will be announced at a later date.
A consensus All-America selection, Dean recorded 72 tackles, including a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss. He also had six sacks, six pass break ups, 31 quarterback pressures and two interceptions, including a 50-yard pick six against Florida. A native of Horn Lake, Miss., Dean is a mechanical engineering major who sports at 3.53 GPA and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.
Stoute is a two-time All-SEC defender for the Bulldogs’ soccer team. A graduate student from Atlanta, Stoute started in 18 games for the Dawgs this season.
Dean, the winner of last year’s Butkus Award, is currently preparing to take his talents to the NFL.
After not running at the combine, there was significant hype focused on what inside linebacker Dean would do inside Georgia’s athletic facility during its Pro Day last week. However, he only competed in some position drills and did not run the 40-yard dash.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart explained Dean is still recovering from a strained pectoral muscle he suffered while training for the combine last month.