In the same week that University of Missouri graduate quarterback Brad Smith earned national player of the week honors, he has now earned one of the most prestigious academic distinctions, as well.  Smith has been named to the 2005 National Scholar-Athlete Class as announced today by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.  He is one of eight Division I-A players (16 in all divisions) to earn the distinction, which earns him an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.

Smith is also now one of 16 finalists for the Draddy Trophy, which is considered to be the "Academic Heisman."  Smith was selected from a pool of 184 nominees nationwide.

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 GPA 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.

Selected by the NFF Awards Committee, the 16 National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will each be honored at the 48th NFF Awards Dinner on December 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.  Each will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship, and one of the 16 will be announced as the winner of the 2005 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 recipient's scholarship to a total of $25,000.

Smith is the 10th Tiger football player to win the NFF's scholar-athlete award.  He joins former Tigers Rob Droege (2003), Corby Jones (1998), Mike Bedosky (1993), Kent Kiefer (1990), Van Darkow (1981), Chris Garlich (1978), Bill Powell (1966), David Gill (1963) and Fred Brossart (1960) with that distinction.

Widely regarded as one of the most exciting players in college football, Missouri's Brad Smith continues to amaze on the football field, with his arm and his legs, while maintaining a steady presence in the classroom and the local community.

A Business Administration major, Smith is two-time member of the Big-12 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll.  He graduated last May and is currently working towards a graduate degree in Economics at Mizzou.

A three-time All-Conference Honorable Mention, Smith is poised to become the first player in Division I-A history to record 8,000 career passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards.  He became only the second player in NCAA history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in 2002.  A three-year team captain, Smith holds Missouri career records with more than 7,800 passing yards, 3,800 rushing yards and 11,700 yards of total offense.  Against Nebraska in 2005, Smith became the first player to rush and pass for more than 230 yards in the same game.

Smith volunteers with the Mike Jones Football Clinic, Chancellor's Lunch, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Food Drive, Truman Club and Athletes-in-Action, among many other activities.