Auburn, Tennessee players among semifinalists for Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award
By Keith Farner
Published:
A pair of SEC players are among the 20 semifinalists announced for award given to the nation’s top leader in college football.
Defensive linemen Derrick Brown of Auburn, and Kyle Phillips of Tennessee are in the group from SEC, while the Big Ten and Big 12 led the way with five selections each, and Conference USA had three. There are 17 seniors and three juniors on the list for the second annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award.
Brown is a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and a member of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council for football. He serves as Auburn SAAC vice-president, and has done Christian-based mission work in the Dominican Republic and also spent time building homes in Montgomery and Auburn, Alabama, with his church. Brown has been heavily involved with other community projects like Angel Trees, Toys for Tots, campus Student-Athlete Day, Beat Bama food drive, Halloween Trunk or Treat and SAAC clothing drive.
Phillips is semifinalist for the 2018 Campbell Trophy and a 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee, Phillips was the recipient of the 2018 Andy Spiva Award as the most improved defensive player of the spring for Tennessee. He is a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and is a three-time Vol Scholar. Phillips completed his undergraduate degree requirements a year early and is pursuing a master’s degree in sport management. He was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and named to the 2017 SEC Community Service Team. He was also inducted into the 2016-17 VOLeaders Academy Class took and part in a 13-day study-abroad trip to Vietnam.
Shaquem Griffin of UCF, who helped lead the Knights to a perfect season last year while becoming one of the most inspirational stories in all of sports, was honored with the first award.
The award is given each year to a Division I college football player, “who has demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.”
The award honors the character shown by Witten, who won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 10. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Feb. 12, at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
