Tag: Wuerffel Trophy

Georgia WR Ladd McConkey named Wuerffel Trophy finalist

Georgia WR Ladd McConkey named Wuerffel Trophy finalist

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Ladd McConkey is one of three finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, which is considered college football’s premier award for community service.

Other finalists include Notre Dame linebacker J.D. Bertrand and Michigan running back Blake Corum.

The junior is also a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, recognizing outstanding achievements in athletics, academics, and community service.

McConkey made headlines last December when he surprised a 10-year-old resident of his hometown, signing his Christmas gift of a new No. 84 McConkey jersey. He also spent time this offseason reading to kids at local schools and volunteering.

McConkey leads all Bulldogs wideouts in receiving over the last three seasons and will be remembered as one of the most important pieces of Georgia’s dominant run. McConkey is hoping to suit up against Alabama in the SEC championship game.

The winner of the Wuerffel Trophy will be announced on Dec. 8 during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

Josh Williams named to Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list

Josh Williams is a former walk-on who has worked his way into becoming an SEC starting running back.

LSU running back [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] has been named to the preseason watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy.

The Trophy, which is named after former Florida Heisman-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel, is the top award in college football for community service. LSU center [autotag]Rudy Niswanger[/autotag] won the first Wuerffel Trophy back in 2005.

Williams joined the team as a walk-on in 2019 and ultimately earned a scholarship during the 2021 season. He became LSU’s starting running back last fall, and though he battled injuries down the stretch, he led all Tigers backs with 532 yards in 2022.

A graduate student pursuing a master’s of business administration, Williams is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection.

Williams is involved in a number of community service activities and is one of 11 Tigers who studied abroad in Senegal this offseason.

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Dvon Ellies named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list

Penn State redshirt senior Dvon Ellies named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list for top community service leadership.

Watch list season continued on Thursday with the release of the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, college football’s premier award for outstanding community service. And this year’s watch list includes one of Penn State’s top defensive linemen.

[autotag]Dvon Ellies[/autotag], a redshirt senior from Maryland, was named to the watch list for this year’s Wuerffel Trophy by The Wuerffel Foundation for the 2023 college football season. The Wuerffel Trophy is named after former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel.

Semifinalists for the award will be named on November 2. Finalists will then be announced on November 28 and the winner will be announced on December 7 or 8 at the annual Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN.

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In addition to being named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, Ellies has also been named to the AFCA Good Works Team watch list.

The Wuerffel Trophy has been presented annually since 2005 when LSU center Rudy Niswanger received the inaugural award. No Penn State player has ever won the award to date.

Last year’s winner of the Wuerffel Trophy was Florida State offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons.  The last Big Ten player to receive the award was Ohio State defensive lineman Joel Penton in 2006.

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Will Shipley named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list

Will Shipley is being recognized for his community service.

Organizers for the Wuerffel Trophy announced today that running back Will Shipley has been named as one of 110 members on the 2023 watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, presented annually in recognition of community service.

In addition to being a frequent community servant in the Upstate through Clemson’s P.A.W. Journey initiative, Shipley has donated both time and money to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. Last year, he and former Clemson defensive end K.J. Henry also donated five figures to create the 1 CLEM5ON endowment to benefit Clemson University’s Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center and Clemson Athletics’ “Hear Her Roar” campaign.

Additional information from award organizers is included below. Visit the 2023 Preseason Honors hub for more preseason accolades garnered by Clemson.

Atlanta, GA – August 3, 2023 – The Wuerffel Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to inspire greater service and unity in our communities, today announced The Wuerffel Trophy watch list for the 2023 season, consisting of 110 players from college football’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service, and one of the most meaningful awards in collegiate sports, The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Wuerffel Trophy embodies Danny’s commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring student-athletes who are inspired to serve others and make positive impacts on society.

“The life changing impact of thinking of others before ourselves is so rewarding, and it’s truly inspiring to see so many student-athletes recognize this, and use their platform for good,” said Danny Wuerffel. “College Football players across the country are making a difference in their communities, and I’m excited to see so many incredible stories associated with the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy candidates.”

Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Departments and will close on October 16. An up-to-date list of nominees can be found at wuerffeltrophy.org. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 2nd, and finalists will be announced on November 28th. The formal announcement of the 2023 recipient is scheduled to be made on December 7th or 8th during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN, and the presentation of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy will take place on February 17, 2024, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA.

Offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons of Florida State University was the 2022 recipient of the Wuerffel Trophy. Like Gibbons, the 2023 recipient will be invited to join Wuerffel in New York City to attend the Heisman Trophy ceremonies, including the press conference, televised announcement show, and the gala.

Past recipients of the Wuerffel Trophy include Rudy Niswanger – LSU – 2005; Joel Penton – Ohio State – 2006; Paul Smith – Tulsa – 2007; Tim Tebow – Florida – 2008; Tim Hiller – Western Michigan – 2009; Sam Acho – Texas – 2010; Barrett Jones – Alabama – 2011; Matt Barkley – USC – 2012; Gabe Ikard – Oklahoma – 2013; Deterrian Shackelford – Ole Miss – 2014; Ty Darlington – Oklahoma – 2015; Trevor Knight – Texas A&M – 2016; Courtney Love – Kentucky – 2017; Drue Tranquill – Notre Dame – 2018; Jon Wassink – Western Michigan – 2019; Teton Saltes – New Mexico – 2020; Isaiah Sanders – Stanford– 2021 and Dillan Gibbons – Florida State – 2022.

The Wuerffel Trophy is supported by its corporate partners Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones.

Wuerffel Trophy Watch List (PDF)

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ABOUT THE WUERFFEL TROPHY

Established in 2005, the Wuerffel Trophy honors college football players who serve others, celebrates their impact, and inspires greater service across the nation. A member of the National College Football Awards Association, the Wuerffel Trophy 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.

The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Famer, former NFL quarterback, and renowned humanitarian Danny Wuerffel, whose life mission is to inspire greater service in the world. Wuerffel led the University of Florida to four SEC Championships and the Gators’ first National Football Championship as the team’s star quarterback. The 1996 Heisman Trophy winner set 17 NCAA and Florida records and won a myriad of other awards including the Maxwell Award, the Davey O’Brien Award, and The William V. Campbell Trophy, presented to the nation’s top scholar-athlete. As a nationally recognized humanitarian, Wuerffel inspires leaders to use their influence to make a positive impact and currently serves as President of the Wuerffel Foundation.

ABOUT THE NCFAA

The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2023 preseason watch list calendar:

Fri., Aug. 4: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Tue., Aug. 8: Davey O’Brien Award
Wed., Aug. 9: Doak Walker Award
Thu., Aug. 10: Butkus Award/Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award
Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award

For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on X/Twitter at @NCFAA.

Nick Brahms named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list

Auburn center Nick Brahms is being recognized for his work off the field.

From playing football for Auburn to flying planes and serving the community, it is easy to see that [autotag]Nick Brahms[/autotag] is not lazy.

Brahms, the four-year starter at center for Auburn football, is being recognized for his hard work off the field by being named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list.

The Wuerffel Trophy, named after former Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy award winner Danny Wuerffel, is the award given to the college football player who shows dedication in community service over the year.

This is the second-consecutive season that Brahms has made the preseason watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy. According to the press release from Auburn athletics, Brahms was one of 30 Senior CLASS Award candidates and was a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America selection in 2021. He was also one of 13 student-athletes at Auburn to receive the Academic Excellence Award by the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives.

Brahms is the third Tiger to be named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list since 2018, joining [autotag]Derrick Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Carlson[/autotag].

Last week, Brahms was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list, the award given to the nation’s best center.

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Jacob Warren named to Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list

Jacob Warren named to Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list.

Tennessee redshirt senior tight end Jacob Warren has been named to the Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list.

Warren is one of 115 student-athletes on the list.

The award is named in honor of Danny Wuerffel. Wuerffel played quarterback at Florida and won the Heisman Trophy in 1996.

The award is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The Wuerffel Trophy honors top college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society and inspire greater service in the world.

The Wuerffel Trophy was established in 2005 and is presented annually to an 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.

Warren earned an undergraduate kinesiology degree in May.

He is a four-time member of the SEC honor roll and is pursuing a Master of Science in agricultural leadership, education and communication.

Warren is on the Vols’ leadership council.

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Three more Notre Dame players make award watch lists

Hopefully, one of these players wins.

College football continues to creep closer, and preseason award watch lists to continue to come out. On Thursday alone, three more Notre Dame players were named to them. Actually, it was two new players and one player making a second list. When it rains, it pours.

Look, we have no delusions that the Irish are going to sweep every award with one of their players on one of these lists. Not only is that a virtual impossibility, but outsiders would become extremely suspicious that the whole system is rigged for one school. Heck, the College Football Playoff is rigged for only two or three conferences, so it’s not like there should be another reason to get on fans’ bad side.

Still, it’s nice to see which players there are to watch for the Irish this season. They may not all pan out, but the expectations will be there.

Anyway, here are the latest Irish players on watch lists:

Pat Fields named Wuerffel Trophy Finalist celebrating exemplary community service

Oklahoma Sooners senior safety Pat Fields was announced as a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy.

While he’s been a constant on the field for the Sooners over the years, Pat Fields has been just as remarkable off of it. Fresh off the press, Fields was nominated as a finalist for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy, an award celebrating the FBS player who balances exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Nakobe Dean, a junior linebacker from the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs and Isaiah Sanders, a senior quarterback from Stanford join him as finalists.

Fields is a fourth-year senior safety from Tulsa, OK who has been a consistent and integral player in the Sooners’ defensive reimagining dubbed “Speed D.” When he’s not coming up making plays in the backfield, intercepting passes, or returning blocked kicks for points, he’s compiling a 3.82 GPA while pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting. According to the official athletic website of the Sooners, both degrees project to be completed by December 2021.

His notable efforts with community service include the founding of “Town Business,” a financial literacy seminar. The seminar focuses heavily on teaching high school football student-athletes about budgeting, money management, credit, and personal branding. He enlisted the help of other notable college athletes, as well as current and former NFL players to help him.

His efforts mean so much to the area of Tulsa. Tulsa has seen a boom in the quality of athletes that are being produced there as they’ve produced high-level, professional-caliber athletes, for a while now. Look no further than former Sooner cornerback Tre Brown, who is contributing as a rookie for the Seattle Seahawks.

In addition to the seminar, he has started the Black Wall Street Scholarship. In collaboration with the president of the OU National Black Alumni Association, Black Wall Street provides scholarships for minority, underrepresented, and lower-income students from his hometown of Tulsa looking to come to Oklahoma while also hosting free football camps during the spring and summer.

His academic achievements include multiple Academic All-District selections (2020-21) and three Academic All-Big 12 First Team selections. He’s received multiple Scholar of the Year awards as well.

Most will only see him as the two-time captain, a three-year starter at safety with 189 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 10 pass breakups, and three interceptions on his ledger. Currently, he sits second on the team with 67 tackles, has 4.5 TFLs and two interceptions through 11 games this season.

The winner of the 2021 Wuerffel Trophy will be announced Dec. 9 on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN, a televised event that wraps up award season for college football, while the actual presentation of the trophy takes place on Feb. 25, 2022, at the 53rd All Sports Association Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

As Fields potentially nears the end of his career as a homegrown Oklahoma Sooner in the next few weeks, regardless of how these next few weeks go, he will leave an incredible ambassador for his community, school, and his family on top of being an excellent ballplayer that helped bring respect back to the Oklahoma defense.

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Six Notre Dame players earn spot on Senior Bowl Watch List

Who could be headed to Mobile after the season?

The Senior Bowl always is a big deal for players who have just finished their eligibility to play college football. It often serves as a major showcase for any player hoping to get drafted by the NFL only a few months later. While we obviously have no clue who will be going to the 2022 game at this point, it’s fun to look at the players who have a chance. This year’s Senior Bowl Watch List has been released, and six Notre Dame players are on it:

Oklahoma Sooners’ Safety Pat Fields named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list

Oklahoma Sooners Safety Pat Fields named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list.

Watch list season continues. Another Oklahoma Sooner was recognized. Senior safety Pat Fields was named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list earlier this week and was honored for his contributions not only on the field but off it. He is one of 93 players in the running for the Wuerffel Trophy entering 2021. The winner will be announced on Dec. 9.

Fields would become the third Sooner to win the award, following Gabe Ikard (2013) and Ty Darlington (2015).

The Wuerffel Trophy is presented annually to the FBS player that best combines outstanding community service with achievements both on and off the field. The inclusion in the compilation list is a testament to Fields’ leadership and character.

As a captain and cornerstone player on OU’s defense, Fields is often praised by both teammates and coaches for the standard of excellence that he sets. Seen as a role model by his peers, it is not a surprise to see his name on the list of players making an impact across college football.

On the field, Fields has accumulated 122 tackles donning Crimson and Cream in 30 career games. In 2020, he notched an interception and five passes defensed in Alex Grinch’s secondary.

Last season, Fields earned the Cotton Bowl’s Dan S. Petty Scholarship Award for exemplary academics, athletics, and character. He strives to make a difference between the hash marks on Saturdays and in the community. Well deserved placement on the watch list and a guy that is easy to root for.