From the Northwest Florida Daily News
ATLANTA — On Saturday at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, it was formally announced that the Chick-fil-A Foundation has become the first presenting sponsor of the Wuerffel Trophy, “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service.” The announcement came during a first quarter break during a matchup between Auburn and Washington at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The sponsorship agreement extends through the 2020 football season.
Named after Danny Wuerffel, a Fort Walton Beach High alumnus who went on to win the 1996 Heisman Trophy at the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. The Wuerffel Trophy is in its 14th year as a major college football award and is presented each February at the All Sports Association’s Awards Banquet at the Emerald Coast Convention Center. Since its inception, exemplary student-athletes including Sam Acho, Trevor Knight and Tim Tebow have been recipients.
“We are honored to become the first presenting sponsor of the Wuerffel Trophy and celebrate these athletes who are serving communities around the world,” said Rodney Bullard, vice president of Community Affairs at Chick-fil-A, Inc. and executive director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation. “The Chick-fil-A Foundation’s mission is to help every child become all they can be, but it’s not a mission we can accomplish alone. Supporting the Wuerffel Trophy recipients is one way we can achieve this ultimate goal.”
The announcement was made after Wuerffel delivered the pre-game invocation to the approximately 75,000 fans in attendance.
“Everyone associated with the Wuerffel Trophy is beyond thrilled to partner with the Chick-fil-A Foundation in our common mission to serve others,” said Danny Wuerffel, who sits on the Wuerffel Trophy board of directors and is the award’s namesake. “While the Chick-fil-A Foundation joins us in our efforts to celebrate college football and the athletes who excel at community service, this partnership is about something deeper. It’s about highlighting that our greatest achievements are more about the lives we impact than the touchdowns we score.”
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by university sports information departments across the U.S. and will close on Oct. 12. A current list of nominees and details of the selection process can be found at wuerffeltrophy.org.
The 2018 recipient will be announced at the National Football Foundation’s press conference in New York City on Dec. 4. The recipient will be a guest at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show and the ESPN College Football Awards Red Carpet Show at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on Dec. 6. The presentation of the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 50th All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Feb. 15, 2019.
It is indeed difficult for darkness to survive in the face of so much light…..another truly Gator great!