JULY 18, 2017
109 players get consideration for award honoring college football’s top community servant
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL – The Wuerffel Trophy announced its watch list today of a record 109 players from college football’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually by the All Sports Association in Fort Walton Beach Florida. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Nine players return to the Watch List from 2016. They are: Blaise Taylor (Arkansas St.), Daniel Carlson (Auburn), Zack Golditch (Colo. St.), Alec Eberle (Fla. St.), Jeb Blazevich (Georgia), KeShun Freeman (Georgia Tech), Ryan Yurachek (Marshall), Drue Tranquill (Notre Dame) and Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma St.).
Voting for the Wuerffel Trophy is performed by a National Selection Committee that includes college football television and print media, industry notables, former head coaches and prior Wuerffel Trophy recipients.
2017 WUERFFEL TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY BY UNIVERSITY)
A.J. Coney, Akron, Senior, WR
Zach Guiser, Akron, Senior, DB
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama, Junior, DB
Taylor Lamb, Appalachian State, Senior, QB
Jacob Alsadek, Arizona, Senior, OL
Tashon Smallwood, Arizona State, Senior, DL
Frank Ragnow, Arkansas, Senior, OL
Blaise Taylor, Arkansas State, Senior, DB/ST
Daniel Carlson, Auburn, Senior, PK
Vinnie Palazeti, Ball State, Senior, OL
Taylor Young, Baylor, Senior, LB
Brett Rypien, Boise State, Junior, QB
Fred Warner, BYU, Senior, LB
Raymond Davison, California, Senior, DL
Joe Ostman, Central Michigan, Senior, DL
Christian Wilkins, Clemson, Junior, DL
Derek McCartney, Colorado, Senior, LB
Zack Golditch, Colorado State, Senior, OL
Gabe Brandner, Duke, Senior, OL
Davon Grayson, East Carolina, Senior, WR
Jeremiah Harris, Eastern Michigan, Junior, DL
T.J. McCoy, Florida, Sophomore, OL
Greg Joseph, Florida Atlantic, Senior, PK
Alec Eberle, Florida State, Junior, OL
Jeb Blazevich, Georgia, Senior, TE
Aaron Davis, Georgia, Senior, DB
KeShun Freeman, Georgia Tech, Senior, DL
Noah Borden, Hawaii, Junior, LS/ST
Steven Dunbar, Houston, Senior, WR
Rashard Fant, Indiana, Senior, DB
Kayden Elliss, Idaho, Junior, LB
Josey Jewell, Iowa, Senior, LB
Jake Campos, Iowa State, Senior, OL
Joe Dineen, Jr., Kansas, Junior, LB
Dalton Risner, Kansas State, Junior, OL
Matt Bahr, Kent State, Junior, LB
Courtney Love, Kentucky, Senior, LB
Grant Horst, Louisiana, Senior, OL
Boston Scott, Louisiana Tech, Senior, RB
Lamar Jackson, Louisville, Junior, QB
Danny Etling, LSU, Senior, QB
Ryan Yurachek, Marshall, Senior, TE
Adam Greene, Maryland, Senior, PK
Spencer Smith, Memphis, Senior, P
Demetrius Jackson, Miami, Junior, DL
Shaquille Quaterman, Miami, Sophomore, LB
James Gardner, Miami (Ohio), Junior, WR
Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee, Sophomore, QB
Ryan Santoso, Minnesota, Senior P
Gabe Myles, Mississippi State, Senior, WR
Corey Fatony, Missouri, Junior, P
Andrew Wood, Navy, Junior, OL
Drew Brown, Nebraska, Senior, PK
Austin Corbett, Nevada, Senior, OL
Max Scharping, NIU, Junior, OL
Austin Proehl, North Carolina, Senior, WR
A.J. Cole III, North Carolina State, Junior, P
Andy Flusche, North Texas, Senior, DL
Max Scharping, Northern Illinios, Junior, OL
Justin Jackson, Northwestern, Senior, RB
Tyler Newsome, Notre Dame, Senior, P
Drue Tranquill, Notre Dame, Senior, DB
Nic Weishar, Notre Dame, Senior, TE
Tracy Sprinkle, Ohio State, Senior, DL
Nick Basquine, Oklahoma, Junior, WR
Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State, Senior, QB
Josh Marriner, Old Dominion, Senior, RB
Javon Patterson, Ole Miss, Junior, OL
Juwaan Williams, Oregon, Senior, DB
Marcus McMaryion, Oregon State, Junior, QB
Trace McSorley, Penn State, Junior, QB
Brian O’Neill, Pitt, Junior, OL
David Blough, Purdue, Junior, QB
David Wells, San Diego State, Senior, TE
Nate Velichko, San Jose State, Senior, OL
Justin Lawler, SMU, Senior, DL
Tre Alford, South Alabama, Senior, DL
Antoine Wilder, South Carolina, Sophomore, LB
Harrison Phillips, Stanford, Senior, DL
Zack Mahoney, Syracuse, Senior, QB
Shaun Nixon, TCU, Junior, WR
Keith Kirkwood, Temple, Senior, WR
Todd Kelly, Jr., Tennessee, Senior, DB
Koda Martin, Texas A&M, Junior, OL
Gabe Schrade, Texas State, Senior, TE
Gabe Lloyd, Texas State, Senior, LB
James Sherman, Texas State, Junior, PK/P
Tyler Watts, Texas State, Junior, WR
Tryston Mizerak, Texas State, Senior, OL
Cody Thompson, Toledo, Senior, WR
Seth Calloway, Troy, Senior, DL
Parry Nickerson, Tulane, Senior, DB
Willie Wright, Tulsa, Junior, OL
Shaquem Griffin, UCF, Senior, LB
Kenny Young, UCLA, Senior, LB
Folorunso Fatukasi, UConn, Senior, DL
Adam Breneman, UMass, Senior, TE
Nico Falah, USC, Senior, OL
Auggie Sanchez, USF, Senior, LB
Chase Hansen, Utah, Junior, DB
Dallin Leavitt, Utah State, Senior, DB
Ryan Metz, UTEP, Junior, QB
Marcus Davenport, UTSA, Senior, DL
Tommy Openshaw, Vanderbilt, Senior, PK
Quin Blanding, Virginia, Senior, DB
Joey Slye, Virginia Tech, Senior, RB
Wendall Dunn, Wake Forest, Senior, DL
Azeem Victor, Washington, Senior, LB
Peyton Pelluer, Washington State, Senior, LB
Rob Dowdy, West Virginia, Sophomore, OL
Mike White, Western Kentucky, Senior, QB
Jamauri Bogan, Western Michigan, Junior, RB
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities’ Sports Information departments and will close on October 13. A current list of nominees can be found at www.wuerffeltrophy.org beginning August 1. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 2 and finalists will be announced on November 22.
The formal announcement of the 2017 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation’s press conference in New York City on December 5.
The presentation of the 2017 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 49th Annual All Sports Association Awards Banquet on February 16, 2018 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Past winners of the Wuerffel Trophy are: Rudy Niswanger (LSU-2005), Joel Penton (Ohio State-2006), Paul Smith (Tulsa-2007), Tim Tebow (Florida-2008), Tim Hiller (W. 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) and Trevor Knight (Texas A&M-2016).
The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 23 awards boast more than 800 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a two-week period this month. Sixteen of the association’s 23 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2017 preseason watch list calendar:
Monday July 10: Bednarik Award/Maxwell Award
Tuesday July 11: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Wednesday July 12: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Thursday July 13: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
Friday July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
Monday July 17: Butkus Award & Hornung Award
Tuesday July 18: Biletnikoff Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Wednesday July 19: Davey O’Brien Award
Thursday July 20: Doak Walker Award
Friday July 21: Walter Camp Award
