The NCAA on Thursday named the Georgia football team one of four recipients of its 2015-2016 Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Award.

The recognition stems from the program’s immediate care and support for former Southern football player Devon Gales, who suffered a serious spinal injury when the two teams played Sept. 26, 2015. The injury, which Gales sustained while blocking on a kick return in the third quarter of the contest, ended his career.

The Bulldogs’ medical staff provided first-responder care for the paralyzed Gales, and the program supported him during his treatment and therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.