Football: Henry Finalist for Draddy Trophy
October 26, 2006 03:39 PM | General
October 26, 2006
MORRISTOWN, N.J., October 26, 2006 – 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-AA
DIVISION II
DIVISION III
DIVISION NAIA
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.
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| Jay Henry |
Jay Henry's Biography
Linebacker, West Virginia University
Recipient of the Robert A. Simms National Scholar-Athlete Award. One of the greatest scholar-athletes in the history of West Virginia University, Jay Henry has proven himself as a defensive leader in the Big East Conference while maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the classroom.
A 2005 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-America selection, Henry has already completed his undergraduate Finance degree and is currently working towards a second in Accounting. A three-time Academic All-Conference pick, he claimed the Anson Mount National Scholar-Athlete Award and the Presidential Award for excellence in scholarship. Named Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the Daily Athenaeum, Henry is a member of the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll.
A team captain that can play all three linebacker positions, Henry’s flexibility has contributed to the 10th ranked scoring defense in the nation. A member of the 2006 Pre-Season Ronnie Lott IMPACT Award Watch List, he has helped guide the Mountaineers to three consecutive conference championships.
Voted the “Ideal Mountaineer” by his coaches for demonstrating great leadership, Henry volunteers with the Special Olympics and has made presentations to the YMCA of Charleston on work ethics and to the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg. A participant in the Read-A-Loud program, Henry has also received the Apostle Award for his numerous leadership qualities. Henry becomes the fifth NFF National Scholar-Athlete for the Mountaineers and the latest since Jeffrey Berk in 2004.
