- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 5,109
- Reaction score
- 1,259
- Points
- 113
Decker Named National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete; Earns $18,000 Postgraduate Scholarship
University of Minnesota senior football player Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) has been named a 2009 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete. Decker is one of 16 college football players from all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA to be honored with this prestigious award.
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.
“To be honored with a national award like this and to be recognized with that group of guys is really special for me,” Decker said Thursday. “To be considered one of the top student-athletes in the nation is a great honor. This award demonstrates a lot more than any other award or achievement I could have in my career. This award is about being an all-around student-athlete and that makes it very special.”
“This prestigious honor could not have gone to a finer representative of the University of Minnesota and the State of Minnesota,” Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster said. “I couldn’t be any more proud of or happier for Eric Decker.”
Selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, from a nationwide pool of 154 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, the 16 members of the 2009 class are:
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE - POSITION - SCHOOL - GPA
JON ASAMOAH - OG - University of Illinois - 3.82
MATT BAUMAN - LB - Brigham Young University - 3.91
ERIC DECKER - WR - University of Minnesota - 3.42
MOSES HARRIS - S - Fresno State - 3.56
TIM HILLER - QB - Western Michigan University - 4.00
PAUL JASINOWSKI - DT - Brown University - 3.70
BEAU KILDOW - WR - Morningside College (Iowa) - 4.00
JOSH MAHONEY - LB - University of Northern Iowa - 4.00
COLT McCOY - QB - University of Texas - 3.33
JARRELL NeSMITH - TE - Tusculum College (Tenn.) - 3.84
JOE PAWELEK - LB - Baylor University - 3.71
TODD REESING - QB - University of Kansas - 3.64
ZaVIOUS ROBBINS - WR - Hardin- Simmons University (Texas) - 3.90
TIM TEBOW - QB - University of Florida - 3.66
BLAINE WESTEMEYER - OT - Augustana College (Ill.) - 3.93
REED WILLIAMS - LB - West Virginia University - 3.86
University of Minnesota senior football player Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) has been named a 2009 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete. Decker is one of 16 college football players from all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA to be honored with this prestigious award.
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.
“To be honored with a national award like this and to be recognized with that group of guys is really special for me,” Decker said Thursday. “To be considered one of the top student-athletes in the nation is a great honor. This award demonstrates a lot more than any other award or achievement I could have in my career. This award is about being an all-around student-athlete and that makes it very special.”
“This prestigious honor could not have gone to a finer representative of the University of Minnesota and the State of Minnesota,” Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster said. “I couldn’t be any more proud of or happier for Eric Decker.”
Selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, from a nationwide pool of 154 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, the 16 members of the 2009 class are:
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE - POSITION - SCHOOL - GPA
JON ASAMOAH - OG - University of Illinois - 3.82
MATT BAUMAN - LB - Brigham Young University - 3.91
ERIC DECKER - WR - University of Minnesota - 3.42
MOSES HARRIS - S - Fresno State - 3.56
TIM HILLER - QB - Western Michigan University - 4.00
PAUL JASINOWSKI - DT - Brown University - 3.70
BEAU KILDOW - WR - Morningside College (Iowa) - 4.00
JOSH MAHONEY - LB - University of Northern Iowa - 4.00
COLT McCOY - QB - University of Texas - 3.33
JARRELL NeSMITH - TE - Tusculum College (Tenn.) - 3.84
JOE PAWELEK - LB - Baylor University - 3.71
TODD REESING - QB - University of Kansas - 3.64
ZaVIOUS ROBBINS - WR - Hardin- Simmons University (Texas) - 3.90
TIM TEBOW - QB - University of Florida - 3.66
BLAINE WESTEMEYER - OT - Augustana College (Ill.) - 3.93
REED WILLIAMS - LB - West Virginia University - 3.86
