Vilma Earns Top Scholar-Athlete Award

Vilma Earns Top Scholar-Athlete Award

Oct. 30, 2003

Morristown, N.J. – Chairman of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Jon F. Hanson announced the foundation’s 2003 class of National College Football Scholar-Athletes, which represents 15 of the nation’s finest college football student-athletes from all divisions of college football.

Each scholar-athlete will be awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will be honored at the Foundation’s 46th Annual Awards Dinner held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, December 9, 2003.

Miami Hurricanes linebacker Jonathan Vilma was among the recipients. Vilma, a senior majoring in finance at UM, was one of nine Division IA football student-athletes to be named to the team. In addition to the post-graduate scholarship he already has earned, the honor makes Vilma a finalist for the Draddy Trophy as the top scholar-athlete in the nation, increasing the scholarship to $25,000. Miami offensive lineman Joaquin Gonzalez was the winner of the Draddy Award, also known as “The Academic Heisman”, in 2001.

Since 1959, when the first class was selected, more than 600 scholar-athletes have been awarded this honor based on superior academic performance, outstanding football ability, strong leadership, and citizenship.

This year’s class has an average grade point average of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. They are:

DIVISION I-AName, School, Position, Major, HometownRobert Droege, University of Missouri, OT, Education, St. Louis, Mo.Nathaniel Jones, Rutgers University, CB,Finance, Scotch Plains, N.J.Craig Krenzel, Ohio State University, QB, Molecular Genetics, Sterling Heights, Mich.Eli Manning, University of Mississippi, QB, Marketing, New Orleans, La.Rodney Reed, Louisiana State Univ., OT, Accounting, Raceland, La.Dontarrious Thomas, Auburn University, LB, Management, Hawkinsville, Ga.Jonathan Vilma, University of Miami, LB, Finance, Coral Gables, Fla.Renaldo Works, University of Oklahoma, RB, Management, Tulsa, Okla.

DIVISION I-AAName, School, Position, Major, HometownJohn Frieser, Colgate University, TE, Sociology/Anthropology, Endwell, N.Y.Jason Whaley, Western Carolina Univ., OL, Computer Info. Systems, Pink Hill, N.C.

DIVISION IIName, School, Position, Major, HometownJohn Edmonds, N.W. Missouri State Univ., LB, Accounting, Maryville, Mo.Keith Heckendorf, St. Cloud State Univ., QB, Physical Education, Mosinee, Wisc.

DIVISION IIIName, School, Position, Major, HometownFlynn Cochran, Renssalear Polytechnic, WR, Management, Kent, Wash.Justin Napotnik Thiel College, RB, Biology/Pre-Medicine, Sharpsville, Pa.

NAIAName, School, Position, Major, HometownDaniel Woodburn, Hastings College, WR, Business, Curtis, Neb.

To be eligible for a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame postgraduate fellowship, the nominee must be a senior or graduate student in his final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have shown superior academic application and performance, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

“The 15 exceptional scholar-athletes we chose this year represent the best and brightest this nation has to offer on all playing fields,” stated Robert E. Mulcahy III, chairman of the Awards Committee and director of athletics at Rutgers University. “Each year, it seems the talent pool continues to expand, and our job to select the most deserving individuals gets more difficult. This year’s incredible class is a testament to the hard work of our committee.”

At the Awards Dinner on December 9, one scholar-athlete will receive the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy. Often termed “The Academic Heisman,” this award provides the winner with a $25,000 scholarship towards their postgraduate studies. Since 1990, 13 scholar-athletes have been fortunate to walk away from the Awards Dinner with this much-acclaimed trophy.

One of the nation’s top defensive players and a major factor in an offensive line that yielded only three quarterback sacks in 2000, a defense that is spearheading Miami’s 7-0 start this season, Vilma epitomizes the term “scholar-athlete.”

The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder was a first-team 2002 Verizon Academic All-American and is a three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team honoree and was named to the Provost’s Honor Roll in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Vilma has been an impressive player since the beginning of his UM career. He leads the team lead with 58 total tackles, 37 solos, along with 4.5 tackles for losses, one quarterback sack, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and a pass broken up. Vilma has made double-digits in tackles three times this season, and his 13 tackles against Florida State is an individual team high for the Hurricanes in 2003.

Vilma also has earned several academic honors at UM including: Dean’s List (2000, 2001 & 2002), Arthur Ashe Scholar Athlete (2001 & 2002), and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (2000, 2001 & 2002). On the field, he also was a Freshman All-American by Rivals.com in 2000, led UM in tackles in 2001 and 2002, and was a first-team All-BIG EAST selection in 2001 and 2002.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit educational organization comprised of more than 13,000 members in 119 chapters nationwide, dedicated to the promotion of amateur football, scholarship, citizenship, and superior athletic performance. Through various programs and initiatives, such as Play It Smart and the NFL/NFF Coaching Academy, the Foundation endeavors to promote the positive values learned through participation in sport.

The College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., serves as a shrine where those who exemplify the Foundation’s ideal of excellence both on and off the field are immortalized.

-UM-