Oct. 29, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri senior quarterback Chase Daniel (Southlake, Texas) on Wednesday was named as one of 15 National Football Foundation 2008 Scholar-Athlete Award winners, which comes with an automatic $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The award also makes Daniel, along with the other 14 winners, a finalist for the Draddy Trophy, which is known as the most prestigious individual academic award in the country (its nicknamed the “Academic Heisman Trophy”).
Each will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship, and one of the 15 will be announced as the recipient of the 2008 Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, 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 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the winner’s scholarship to $25,000.
Daniel, who is a business administration major with a cumulative grade point average of over 3.4, is the second Tiger quarterback under Head Coach Gary Pinkel to win the NFF Scholar-Athlete Award, matching former great Brad Smith, who was a finalist for the Draddy Trophy in 2005.
Daniel, who is also on the short list of favorites for the Heisman Memorial Trophy, as well as other prestigious on-field awards, was excited to hear the news of his academic honor.
“It’s an incredible honor, I think it’s great that the National Football Foundation takes the time to recognize all of these outstanding football players who are also excellent students,” Daniel said. “I’ve always worked very hard in school, my parents raised me that it was the most important thing to focus on. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given here at Mizzou, we’ve got a world-class business school with incredible professors and tons of other people who help make it happen every day for me,” he said.
Pinkel was understandably proud of his signal caller’s award.
“This guy is the ultimate competitor, and what you see him do on the field every Saturday, he’s obviously doing the same things in the classroom,” said Pinkel. “I don’t think people understand all of the demands and the pressures that high-level college athletes go through, and for someone in his situation to handle himself in such a first-class manner on and off the field like he does, that just tells you about the kind of person he is. He’s as good a representative of this program and this University as you could hope for,” Pinkel said.
The NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is recognized as the first and most prestigious initiative in the history of college sports to honor football players for their combined athletic ability, academic success and civic leadership.
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 3.2 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 15 National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will be honored at the 2008 NFF Annual Awards Dinner December 9 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. The event will also include the induction of the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame and the presentation of several major awards.
Here’s a look at the 15 honorees for the 2008 NFF Scholar-Athlete Awards…
| Andrew Berry |
CB |
Harvard University |
| Ryan Berry |
QB |
South Dakota State University |
| Chase Daniel |
QB |
University of Missouri |
| Brian Freeman |
OT |
Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) |
| Casey Gerald |
CB |
Yale University |
| Graham Harrell |
QB |
Texas Tech University |
| Quin Harris |
LB |
Louisiana Tech University |
| Jeff Horinek |
LB |
Colorado State University |
| Ryan Kees |
DE |
St. Cloud State University (Minn.) |
| Alex Mack |
C |
University of California (Berkeley) |
| Ryan McDonald |
OL |
University of Illinois |
| Greg Micheli |
QB |
Mount Union College (Ohio) |
| Darryl Richard |
DT |
Georgia Tech |
| Brian Robiskie |
WR |
Ohio State University |
| Louie Sakoda |
P/K |
University of Utah |
Daniel becomes the 11th Tiger to win NFF Scholar-Athlete honors, and is the third to do so under Pinkel’s watch. Previous MU honorees include: Fred Brossart (HB – 1960), David Gill (T – 1963), Bill Powell (DT – 1966), Chris Garlich (LB – 1978), Van Darkow (LB – 1981), Kent Kiefer (QB – 1990), Mike Bedosky (OL – 1993), Corby Jones (QB – 1998), Rob Droege (OL – 2003) and Brad Smith (QB – 2005).
