Football's Jake Ebner Named Semifinalist for 2008 Draddy Trophy
Oct. 1, 2008
DALLAS--University of Houston football senior Jake Ebner was named a semifinalist for the 2008 Draddy Trophy and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award, announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) on Wednesday. Ebner joins 163 other semifinalists for the trophy, which is presented by HealthSouth. The defensive tackle was selected as a member of the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI First Team. Ebner, a finance major, intends to continue his education in graduate school after this season. He was also honored with the 2008 Robert L. Grainger Outstanding Leadership Award. The Draddy Trophy and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award was established in honor of former NFF Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy, who was a Manhattan College quarterback who developed Izod and Lacoste brands. Schools were limited to one nominee each and the semifinalist must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility. The nominee must have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player of significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. On Oct. 29, up to 15 finalists will be announced and recognized as part of the 2008 National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Draddy winner, will receive $25,000 post-graduate scholarship, a 25-pound bronze trophy and will be announced at he NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 in New York City. Next Up Fans can hear the game live on 790 AM The Sports Animal, with Franklin calling the play-by-play action, Ted Pardee providing color analysis and Chuck Brown handling reports from the sideline. Thursday's game will be televised live on CBS College Sports (DirecTV channel 613/Dish Network 152) with Carter Blackburn calling the play-by-play action and Aaron Taylor providing color analysis.
Fans also can follow live stats by clicking the Gametracker link at UHCougars.com. |
