Joe Pawelek (Baylor), Todd Reesing (Kansas) and Colt McCoy (Texas) are among the 16 student-athletes named to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) 2009 National Scholar-Athlete Class.
The 16 were chosen from a nationwide pool of 154 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA. One of the finalists will be awarded the William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth. The Big 12 was the only conference with three honorees.
Other members of the class include: Jon Asamoah (Illinois), Matt Bauman (BYU), Erick Decker (Minnesota), Moses Harris (Fresno State), Tim Hiller (Western Michigan), Paul Jasinowski (Brown), Beau Kildow (Morningside College), Josh Mahoney (Northern Iowa), Jarrell NeSmith (Tusculum College), ZaVious Robbins (Hardin-Simmons), Tim Tebow (Florida), Blaine Westemeyer (Augustana College) and Reed Williams (West Virginia).
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Selected by the NFF Awards Committee, the 16 National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will be honored at the 2009 NFF Annual Awards Dinner December 8 at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. The event will also include the induction of the 2009 College Football Hall of Fame and the presentation of several major awards.
Each finalist will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship, and one of the 16 will be announced as the recipient of the 20th Anniversary William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth (and formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar- athlete in the nation. Renamed this fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post- graduate scholarship. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.
The NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is the first initiative in the history to award scholar-athletes post graduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. This year's class members finds themselves in good company, as former National Scholar-Athletes include NFL standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA), Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Danny Wuerffel (Florida).