NEW YORK (Dec. 5, 2017) — Danny Wuerffel announced at the National Football Foundation’s Press Conference at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel that Courtney Love, linebacker from the University of Kentucky is the recipient of the 2017 Wuerffel Trophy.
The Wuerffel Trophy is presented to the Football Bowl Subdivision football player who best exhibits exemplary community service at the All Sports Association’s annual banquet in Fort Walton Beach.
“We at the Wuerffel Trophy are honored to announce that Courtney is the recipient of this year’s award and are excited about him joining our family of past winners,” said Wuerffel. “What he has done serving others during his college career truly represents what the Wuerffel Trophy is all about. Also, I’d like to say the same about our other two finalists, Blaise Taylor and Drue Tranquill. What they have done selflessly is nothing short of amazing. It’s a shame that we can only have one recipient.”
Love, a senior linebacker from Youngstown, Ohio, graduated in May with a degree in community and leadership development and is working on a second degree in communications. He volunteers his time with Amachi Central Kentucky, mentoring area youth especially those living in a one-parent household or children who have parents who are incarcerated. His community service efforts also include visiting patients at UK Children’s Hospital, Read Across America, Special Olympics, mentoring and Picadome Elementary School, Big Brothers/Big Sisters along with serving in mission work in Ethiopia.
The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy who led the Florida Gators to the 1996 national championship, played six years in the National Football League, and has received national recognition for his humanitarian and community service efforts with Desire Street Ministries, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and around the country.
As the 2017 Wuerffel Trophy recipient, Love will be interviewed on “The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show” airing on ESPNU and ESPN3 on Thursday at 6 p.m. EST/5 p.m. CST. The show will feature interviews with award winners and finalists as they approach the The Home Depot College Football Awards Show at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.
Love will be presented with the Wuerffel Trophy at the All Sports Association’s 49th Annual Awards Banquet on Feb. 16, 2018, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The keynote speaker for the event will be Herm Edwards. For more information on the Wuerffel Trophy, visit www.wuerffeltrophy.org.
The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 23 awards boast more than 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. For more information, go to www.NCFAA.org.
The Wuerffel Trophy is supported by its corporate partners, Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones.
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About the Wuerffel Trophy:
The Wuerffel Trophy is college football’s premier award for community service. The Wuerffel Trophy is presented to the Football Bowl Subdivision football player who best exhibits exemplary community service, along with qualifying academic and athletic achievement. As the trophy namesake, Danny Wuerffel embodies the three categories of the award: Community Service, Academics and Athletics. Past winners of the Wuerffel Trophy are: 2016 Trevor Knight, Texas A&M University; 2015 Ty Darlington, University of Oklahoma; 2014 Deterrian Shackelford, University of Mississippi; 2013 Gabe Ikard, University of Oklahoma; 2012 Matt Barkley, University of Southern California; 2011 Barrett Jones, University of Alabama; 2010 Sam Acho, University of Texas; 2009 Tim Hiller, Western Michigan University; 2008 Tim Tebow, University of Florida; 2007 Paul Smith, University of Tulsa; 2006 Joel Penton, Ohio State University; and 2005 Rudy Niswanger, Louisiana State University.
Contact: Tom Brassell, Executive Director, (850) 585-5512, tombrassell@wuerffeltrophy.org
