12 Players in Consideration for College Football’s Top Community Service Award
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Nov. 1, 2018 – The Wuerffel Trophy, presented by the Chick-fil-A Foundation®, announces the twelve semifinalists for the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service.”
“Once again, this year validates how many outstanding young men are out there doing wonderful work serving others in their communities,” said Danny Wuerffel. “It was such a difficult job we had narrowing the list down to only twelve semifinalists. These young men truly represent the best of the best.”
The Wuerffel Trophy, named after Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, is awarded to the Football Bowl Subdivision player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
The 2018 Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalists, listed alphabetically by university, are:
Brett Rypien, Boise State University, senior, quarterback
Marcus McMaryion, Fresno State University, senior, quarterback
Dalton Risner, Kansas State University, senior, offensive line
Matt Bahr, Kent State University, senior, linebacker
A.J. Cole, III, North Carolina State University, senior, punter
Max Scharping, Northern Illinois University, senior, offensive line
David Blough, Purdue University, senior, quarterback
Bryce Crawford, San Jose State University, senior, punter/kicker
Kielan Whitner, Syracuse University, senior, linebacker
Noah Borden, University of Hawaii, senior, long snapper
Drue Tranquill, University of Notre Dame, senior, linebacker
D’Cota Dixon, University of Wisconsin, senior, defensive back
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy were made by the Sports Information departments of FBS universities and closed on Oct. 12, 2018. The three 2018 Wuerffel Trophy finalists will be announced on Nov. 18, 2018 and the formal announcement of the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy recipient is scheduled to be made on Dec. 4, 2018 at the National Football Foundation’s press conference in New York City.
The 2018 Wuerffel Trophy winner will be invited to attend The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on ESPNU and ESPN3 on Dec. 6, 2018, airing at 6 p.m. EST/5 p.m. CST, featuring interviews with award winners and finalists as they approach The Home Depot College Football Awards Show, the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The presentation of the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy will take place at the 50th Annual All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Feb. 15, 2019, in Fort Walton Beach.
Past winners of the Wuerffel Trophy are: 2017 Courtney Love, University of Kentucky; 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.
The Wuerffel Trophy is presented by the Chick-fil-A Foundation®, 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 Company and Herff Jones.
The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 24 awards boast more than 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. For more information, go to www.NCFAA.org.
For more information on the Wuerffel Trophy, visit www.wuerffeltrophy.org.
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Contact: Tom Brassell, tombrassell@wuerffeltrophy.org, 850-585-5512
