College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service announces new voting members
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL (Sept. 26, 2018) – The Wuerffel Trophy, presented by Chick-fil-A Foundation®, today announced that ESPN’s Maria Taylor and Rodney Bullard of Chick-fil-A will be joining its national selection team this season.
(Photo by Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)
Taylor is in her 7th season as a host analyst and reporter with ESPN. She attended the University of Georgia where she played volleyball and basketball for the Bulldogs. She was named to the All-SEC volleyball 3 times and was also a member of the USA A2 National Volleyball team. She graduated in 2009 with a degree in broadcast news and received her Masters of Business Administration in 2013.
Bullard leads Chick-fil-A’s community engagement, philanthropic and sustainability strategy as Vice President of Community Affairs and Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation. He is an alumnus of the United States Air Force Academy, Duke Law School, the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
“All of us at the Wuerffel Trophy are excited to have Maria and Rodney join our team,” said Danny Wuerffel. “Their knowledge of college football and commitment to serving others makes them a perfect fit on our National Selection Committee.”
“It is an honor and pleasure to be a part of the Wuerffel Trophy’s selection committee,” said Taylor. “I value everything that this award stands for.”
“To play a role in honoring these athletes is truly a privilege,” said Bullard. “Their success as athletes and their service to communities is worth celebrating. I, on behalf of Chick-fil-A, am excited to help select the coming Wuerffel Trophy recipients.”
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by university sports information departments across the U.S. and will close on Oct. 12. A current list of nominees and details of the selection process can be found at wuerffeltrophy.org.
The 2018 recipient will be announced at the National Football Foundation’s press conference in New York City on Dec. 4. The recipient will be a guest at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show and the ESPN College Football Awards Red Carpet Show at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on Dec. 6. The presentation of the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 50th All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Feb. 15, 2019 in Fort Walton Beach.
Past winners of the award include: Rudy Niswanger – LSU – 2005; Joel Penton – Ohio State – 2006; Paul Smith – Tulsa – 2008; 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.
The Chick-fil-A Foundation®, the presenting sponsor of the Wuerffel Trophy, is the corporate foundation of Chick-fil-A, Inc. A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation’s purpose is to lead the company’s commitment to support youth and education in Chick-fil-A’s local communities. The Foundation’s work is focused on developing and educating young people so they can build a positive legacy and become all they can be. For more information, visit http://www.chick-fil-afoundation.org/.
The Wuerffel Trophy is also supported by its corporate partners, Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones.
The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 24 awards boast more than 800 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
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Contact: Tom Brassell: (850) 585-5512, tombrassell@wuerffeltrophy.org
