DALLAS, October 1, 2008 - Selected as the best and brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the 164 semifinalists for the 2008 Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and the candidates for the 2008 NFF National Scholar- Athlete Awards.
"The Draddy Trophy is one of college football's most sought after and competitive awards," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (Draddy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "It recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership, and we're incredibly proud to select the next winner from this remarkable group of semifinalists."
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent dePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a 25- pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.
"The Draddy semifinalists represent everything good about college football," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "They are another fine example of how football builds leaders, and it is the NFF's duty to promote their accomplishments while encouraging future generations of gridiron standouts to aim high on and off the football field."
The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2008 National Scholar- Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Draddy winner, who will receive a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship, will be announced at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 9 at the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of more than $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.
Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to credit a player for both academic and athletic accomplishments. The Draddy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist and a Heisman winner. The University of Texas's Dallas Griffin was named the 2007 Draddy recipient.
Notable NFF National Scholar-Athlete alumni 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).
2008 DRADDY SEMIFINALIST GROUP NOTES
3.56 Average GPA
67 All-Conference Picks
102 Team Captains
10 2007 First Team Academic All-America Selections
Two 2007 First Team All-America Selections
16 of the top 25 teams in this week's AP Poll represented
57 Nominees from the Football Bowl Subdivision
43 Nominees from the Football Championship Subdivision
15 Nominees from the Division II
37 Nominees from the Division III
12 Nominees from the NAIA
82 Offensive Players
63 Defensive Players
19 Special Teams Players
FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION
School - Nominee
Albany - Daniel Bocanegra
Appalachian State - Pierre Banks
Arkansas-Pine Bluff - John Keith
Austin Peay State - P.R. Morris
Bethune-Cookman - Ryan Griffin
Brown - Michael Dougherty
Bryant - Brian Donnelly
Bucknell - Kevin Mullen
Butler - Mike Bennett
Columbia - Phillip Mitchell
Dartmouth - Andrew Dete
Dayton - Bart Bergfeld
Eastern Illinois - Tyler Wilke
Elon - Tim Applegate
Hampton - Kevin Teel
Harvard - Andrew Berry
Hofstra - Nicholas Altomare
Holy Cross - Matt Partain
Illinois State - Kedric Meredith
Iona - Timmethy Mastrino
Lehigh - Brenden Van Ackeren
Maine - Ryan Canary
Marist - Jake Dembow
McNeese State - Brant Linde
Montana - Cole Bergquist
Morehead State - Nick Feldman
North Carolina A&T State - Mike Christen
North Dakota State - Kole Heckendorf
Northeastern - Anthony Orio
Northern Arizona - Robbie Dehaze
Northwestern State - Dudley Guice
Princeton - Ryan Coyle
Samford - Mitchell Waters
San Diego - Patrick O'Neill
South Carolina State - Nygel Pearson
South Dakota State - Ryan Berry
Stephen F. Austin - Cory Long
Towson - Mark Bencivengo
Valparaiso - Ryan Koepke
VMI - Jacob Rochester
Wofford - Ben Quick
Yale - Casey Gerald
Youngstown State - Brad Samsa