LSU running back Leonard Fournette has received praise for his brute force on the field. On Thursday, he was recognized for his demeanor off it.

Fournette was named the men’s recipient of the SEC Sportsmanship Award, as selected by a vote of the conference’s 14 athletic directors. He was recognized for his help in supporting citizens of South Carolina after flooding in the state last October.

Here’s how an LSU release describes the honor:

LSU’s scheduled road game against South Carolina was moved to Baton Rouge due to the flooding, reminiscent of the devastation in New Orleans that Fournette experienced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. During a live on-air interview with ESPN following LSU’s game against the Gamecocks, Fournette announced to the nation that he would auction his jersey from the game to help the flood victims in South Carolina. The jersey auction was approved by the NCAA and raised $101,000, the most ever generated for an auction by an active college student-athlete.

“We are very proud of Leonard and the role he played in raising awareness and generating money to aid the victims of the devastating flooding in South Carolina last fall,” LSU Vice-Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said. “This is a tremendous honor for Leonard and one that is every bit as important as the accolades he’s earned for his performance on the football field.”

Fournette expressed his gratitude in a statement published in the release:

“I’m very appreciative and humbled by this award,” Fournette said. “After suffering through Hurricane Katrina as a child and the devastation that it brought to my hometown of New Orleans, I somewhat understood what the people in South Carolina were experiencing. I wanted to do anything that I could to help make a difference and I appreciate LSU, the SEC and the NCAA for allowing me to raise money and awareness by auctioning my game jersey from the South Carolina game.”

It’s good to see a player like Fournette gain recognition for helping the cause in South Carolina. Too often, fans only learn about players’ on-field persona. This was a chance for Fournette to gain wider recognition for something that went beyond football.

Well done, SEC.