DALLAS, Texas - Selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 2007 National Scholar- Athlete winners, who will vie as the finalists for the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth. Rutgers senior linebacker Brandon Renkart (Piscataway, N.J.) was one of nine players chosen from the Football Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).
BRANDON RENKART
Linebacker, Rutgers University
Recipient of the Robert A. Simms National Scholar- Athlete Award
Described as a leader and mentor for the Rutgers football program, Brandon Renkart has also excelled academically by tackling the rigors of a Civil Engineering major with aplomb.
Hailing from Piscataway, N.J., Renkart is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma National Athletic Fraternity as well as the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. The two-time All-Big East Academic Team selection has registered Dean's List recognition seven of his eight semesters, and currently ranks fourth in his class in civil engineering.
A former walk-on, Renkart worked his way through the Rutgers football program to become a two-year starter for the Scarlet Knights. Head football coach Greg Schiano said, "Brandon has been the consummate student-athlete throughout his career at Rutgers." The team captain has registered 44 tackles this season, including six tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He was also voted by his teammates as a member of the team's leadership council.
Renkart is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and participates in Rutgers' community outreach program. He has visited local elementary schools and children's hospitals. A volunteer speaker at football clinics, he also serves as a mentor for area school systems.
Following 2006 Draddy winner Brian Leonard, Renkart is the fifth NFF National Scholar-Athlete in Scarlet Knight history.
"This is the ultimate class of NFF National Scholar- Athletes," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We are so proud to honor this incredibly accomplished group of individuals, who epitomize what it means to be a leader in everything they do."
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 2007 NFF Annual Awards Dinner, celebrating the organization's 60th Anniversary, on December 4 at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. The event will also include the induction of 14 of college football's greatest legends into the College Football Hall of Fame and the presentation of several awards, including the Gold Medal and the Distinguished American Award.
"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.
