Renkart Named Draddy Trophy Semifinalist
Oct 11 | Football
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers senior Brandon Renkart (Piscataway, N.J.) was named a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, presented annually to the National Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF) and HealthSouth, the group announced on Thursday. He is one of 67 Football Bowl Subdivision student-athletes selected as a semifinalist for the prestigious award, which former Rutgers All-American and current St. Louis Rams starting running back Brian Leonard (Gouverneur, N.Y.) won last year.
One of college football's most sought after and competitive awards, the Draddy Trophy, known in some circles as the Academic Heisman, recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.
"The NFF is extremely proud of this year's group of semifinalists," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "Their substantial commitment to academic excellence, athletic prowess and community service is commendable, and it is our responsibility to honor them for their dedication on and off the playing field. These players are the greatest illustration of how we hope to build leaders through football."
Nominated by their schools, 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, 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 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.
Renkart owns a 3.7 cumulative GPA majoring in Civil Engineering. He ranks fourth in his class among his major and is a member of both the Chi Alpha Sigma National Athletic Honor Society and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. He was also voted a team captain by his peers for the 2007 season. The senior has devoted his time to several community service initiatives, visiting children at local hospitals and serving as a speaker at several clinics in the area. He is also a member of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
A two-time member of the BIG EAST Academic Team, Renkart is in his second season as a starting linebacker for the Scarlet Knights. Renkart has amassed 35 tackles through five games this season, including a career-best 11 stops against Maryland. He is fourth on the team and tied for 12th in the BIG EAST with 7.0 tackles per game. The linebacker has recorded at least on tackle for loss in four of five games in 2007, including a key stop for loss on a fourth-and-one play in the first quarter against Cincinnati to force a turnover on downs.
This year's semifinalists maintain a 3.58 average GPA in diverse majors such as physics and ocean engineering.
The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 25. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2007 National Scholar- Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Draddy winner will be announced at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 4 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. Past Draddy winners, including two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, a Heisman winner and a 3.7 average GPA, are: Chris Howard (Air Force, 1990); John B. Culpepper (Florida, 1991); Jim Hansen (Colorado, 1992); Thomas Burns (Virginia, 1993); Robert Zatechka (Nebraska, 1994); Bobby Hoying (Ohio State, 1995); Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996); Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997); Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1998); Chad Pennington (Marshall, 1999); Kyle Vanden Bosch (Nebraska, 2000); Joaquin Gonzalez (Miami, 2001); Brandon Roberts (Washington University-Mo., 2002); Craig Krenzel (Ohio State, 2003); Michael Munoz (Tennessee, 2004); Rudy Niswanger (Louisiana State, 2005); and Brian Leonard (Rutgers, 2006).
