University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Johnson Named Semi-Finalist For Draddy Trophy
10/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Johnson Named Semi-Finalist For Draddy Trophy
Senior punter Luke Johnson was named a semi-finalist for the Draddy Trophy, known as the "Academic" Heisman today. |
Johnson was one of 184 semi-finalists, comprised of student-athletes from Division I-A, Division I-AA, Division II, Division III and NAIA, for the Draddy Trophy, which was first awarded in 1990. Johnson also is a candidate for a National Scholar-Athlete Award. Former Golden Eagle Jeff Kelly was honored as a National Scholar-Athlete in 201. Johnson joined
?The Draddy epitomizes everything right about college football,? NFF President Steven J. Hatchel said. ?By recognizing this group, we highlight the countless hours and demands that each college football player must balance as they pursue their dreams of a higher education and their passion for football. The NFF has both the privilege and responsibility to pay tribute to this exceptional group of role models, who truly embody the term student-athlete.?
Johnson has 10 punts for 450 yards so far in 2005, averaging 45.0 yards per punt. In his career, Johnson has 162 punts for 6,822 yards, averaging 42.1 yards per punt, which ranks second all-time in school history. He was named to the 2004 American Football Coaches Association?s Good Words Team for his dedication and work in the community.
Each player was nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each. Semi-finalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a team first player, and demonstrate strong leadership and citizenship.
The trophy is named in honor of former NFF Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy, a
The NFF Awards Committee, comprised of former coaches, Hall of Famers and college administrators, will announce the 15 finalists on Oct. 27. The winner will be announced at the 48th NFF Awards Dinner on Dec. 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria in
The semi-finalists, which includes 106 players that have earned All-Conference recognition on the field, have an average GPA of 3.5. The list includes 45 offensive linemen, 30 linebackers, 88 offensive players, 80 defensive players and 16 special teams players. The most selections came from Division I-A with 63, while Division I-AA had 44, Division II had 20, Division III had 43, while the NAIA had 14.
