Leonard Named 2006 National Scholar-Athlete by National Football Foundation
Oct 26 | Football
MORRISTOWN, N.J., - Selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 17 members of the 2006 National Scholar-Athlete Class, who will vie as the finalists for the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth.
Division I-A
|
Awardee |
School |
Pos. |
Major |
Hometown |
|
Brian Daniels |
University of Colorado |
OG |
Finance |
Superior, Colo. |
|
Rhema Fuller |
University of Connecticut |
DT |
Finance |
Cocoa, Fla. |
|
Jay Henry |
West Virginia University |
LB |
Finance / Accounting |
Tulsa, Okla. |
|
Chris Leak |
University of Florida |
QB |
Sociology |
Charlotte, N.C. |
|
Brian Leonard |
Rutgers University |
FB |
Labor & Employment Rels. |
Hailesboro, N.Y. |
|
Carl Pendleton |
University of Oklahoma |
DT |
Sociology |
Norman, Okla. |
|
Paul Posluszny |
Penn State University |
LB |
Finance |
Aliquippa, Pa. |
|
Joe Thomas |
University of Wisconsin |
OT |
Business |
Brookfield, Wis. |
|
John Wendling |
University of Wyoming |
S |
Business Administration |
Rock Springs, Wyo. |
Division I-AA
|
Ed McCarthy |
Yale University |
OL |
History |
Fairfield, Conn. |
|
Luke Palko |
Saint Francis Univ. (Pa.) |
WR |
Accounting |
Imperial, Pa. |
|
Kristian Smith |
Alabama A&M University |
OL |
Telecommunications |
Alpine, Calif. |
Division II
|
Michael Klobucher |
Ferris State Univ. (Mich.) |
LB |
Applied Biology |
Grand Haven, Mich. |
|
Ryan Meredith |
Pittsburg State Univ. (Ka.) |
DE |
Management |
Pittsburg, Kan. |
Division III
|
Aaron Lewis |
Carnegie Mellon Univ. (Pa.) |
DB |
Business Administration |
Englewood, Ohio |
|
P.J. Theisen |
Univ. of St. Thomas (Minn.) |
WR |
Accounting |
Elko, Minn. |
NAIA
|
Brad Cook |
St. Ambrose Univ. (Iowa) |
C |
Economics / Finance |
Bettendorf, Iowa |
With a 3.7 average GPA, 13 of the players have earned all-conference recognition on the field and 15 of them have served as captains of their teams. 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 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
"We take great pride in providing each member of the scholar-athlete class with a coveted $18,000 scholarship for their post-graduate studies," said NFF President Steven J. Hatchell. "They have set the standard for their teammates and for all who play sports. By highlighting their achievements, we hope to inspire future generations of student-athletes to higher levels of achievement in all aspects of their lives."
Selected by the NFF Awards Committee, comprised of former coaches, Hall of Famers and college administrators, the 17 National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will be honored at the 49th NFF Awards Dinner on December 5 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
"After thorough review of 148 outstanding candidates representing schools from all levels of collegiate play, the committee's deliberations resulted in the selection of an exceptional class of 17 scholar-athletes," said Robert E. Mulcahy III, chairman of the NFF Awards Committee and director of athletics at Rutgers University. "Knowing the importance and prestige of these awards, the committee takes the utmost care in making the selections, and I applaud them for their efforts."
Each will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship, and one of the 17 will be announced as the recipient of the 2006 Draddy Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. 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 stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the winner's scholarship to a total of $25,000.
About HealthSouth
HealthSouth is one of the nation's largest providers of outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative healthcare services, operating facilities nationwide. HealthSouth can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.
ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.
Brian Leonard
Fullback, Rutgers University
Highly regarded as one of the nation's premier fullbacks, Brian Leonard has helped lead a renaissance with the Rutgers University football program. As the team keeps rising to national prominence, Leonard continues to collect academic and athletic praise.
A Labor & Employment Relations major, Leonard has claimed Academic All-Conference honors three times and a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team in 2005.
Poised to break numerous Rutgers records in 2006, Leonard has twice earned First Team All-America honors by Pro Football Weekly. A two-time First Team All-Conference selection, Sports Illustrated recognized him as one of the "most underrated players," contributing as a tenacious blocker and threat to run or catch the ball from the backfield. Leonard has rushed for over 2,500 yards and 1,700 receiving yards in his career. A 2006 team captain, he has been instrumental in teammate Ray Rice's No. 2 national ranking in rushing.
Active in his community, Leonard has participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life walk and Read Across America. A volunteer in the opening ceremonies of the New Jersey Special Olympics, he has traveled to several local hospitals to visit with children and hand out gifts. Leonard also serves as a speaker for high school athletics events and football camps. He becomes Rutgers' sixth National Scholar-Athlete and the first since Nathaniel Jones in 2003.
