Ray Lima (Iowa State), Bryce Torneden (Kansas), Kellton Hollins (TCU) and Brandon Jones (Texas) have been named Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Semifinalists. The four representatives from the Big 12 is tied with the ACC and the SEC for the most student-athletes from a single conference.
Lima leads the Cyclones’ football program in community service with 90 hours in just two years in Ames. The son of a Los Angeles pastor, he has helped in a variety of ways including the Wounded Warrior Project, Special Olympics, Soles4Soules Shoe Drive and led a group of Cyclones to Marshalltown, Iowa in the summer of 2018 to help clean up the town after a tornado caused severe damage. The senior earned his undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies in December of 2018.
Torneden has participated in numerous community service initiatives in Lawrence, the city he calls home. The work he is most proud of is his role with Team Impact, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illness with collegiate athletic teams to form life-long bonds and create life-changing outcomes. His efforts off the field have been rewarded as he was named to the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Hollins serves as president of S.P.A.R.K., an organization started by TCU football student-athletes to provide motivation and mentorship to local youth about the importance of education and serving their community. He has also worked with Forth Worth youth through H.O.P.E. Farm, Inc., University Christian Church and is a regular speaker at Boys and Girls Clubs of America. A native of Zachary, Louisiana, he donated 80 Bibles to a Louisiana youth football all-star team in his home state. He also serves as TCU’s male SAAC representative for the Big 12.
Jones lost his father to liver disease when he was in the seventh grade and has worked hard ever since to provide a foundation for his mother and four brothers. The senior formed a special bond with Jayden Morton, a young cancer patient at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, and gifted her with one of his jerseys as a token for the impact she has made on his life.
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award is the first college football award to focus primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field. The winner of the award will also receive a $10,000 contribution to their respective school’s athletic scholarship fund.
The three finalists for the award will be named on Monday, Dec. 18. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Feb. 18, 2020 at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Semifinalists (Big 12 Only)
Ray Lima, Iowa State, Sr., Defensive Line
Bryce Torneden, Kansas, Sr., Safety
Kelton Hollins, TCU, Jr., Center
Brandon Jones, Texas, Sr., Defensive Back