Ten MAC Students Named to 2017 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
TEN MAC STUDENTS NAMED TO 2017 WUERFFEL TROPHY WATCH LIST
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL -- The Wuerffel Trophy announced its watch list today of a record 109 players from college football’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually by the All Sports Association in Fort Walton Beach Florida.
Representing the MAC are 10 students on this year's Wuerffel Trophy Watch list:
- Akron senior wide receiver A.J. Coney
- Akron senior defensive back Zach Guiser
- Ball State senior offensive lineman Vinnie Palazeti
- Central Michigan senior defensive lineman Joe Ostman
- Eastern Michigan junior defensive lineman Jeremiah Harris
- Kent State junior linebacker Matt Bahr
- Miami junior wide receiver James Gardner
- NIU junior offensive lineman Max Scharping
- Toledo senior wide receiver Cody Thompson
- Western Michigan junior running back Jamauri Bogan
Bahr appeared in eight games last season with Kent State and collected six tackles. He was named a 2016 MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and was also named to the Academic All-MAC Team.
Bogan has been a leader on campus during his time at Western Michigan. He has served on the MAC's Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He has also been a mentor at Tree of Life, a mentor for kids at the local Gospel Mission. He's served in the GED program at Goodwill. He's impacted Western Michigan by being an FCA leader and leading bible studies along with taking his teammates to read to local elementary schools. Last December he also spearheaded a clothing drive for the Bahamas to help those affected by the hurricane.
Coney, a wide receiver, played in all 12 games with three starts last fall with Akron. He had 15 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown on the season and also saw action on the kickoff return unit. Coney was named the team's offensive MVP in the weight room following spring drills.
Gardner earned third-team All-MAC last season for Miami, finishing the year with 45 catches for 750 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native opened last season with six catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns at Iowa and had five grabs for 136 yards and a score two weeks later versus Western Kentucky. More notably though, is what Gardner has done for the Oxford Community. Since his arrival, the wide receiver has volunteered with the Oxford Chamber of Commerce, Parks and Recs department, local groups with physical disabilities and Luna Cares, a local organization that helps with cancer research. He also helped Kramer Elementary teachers move into the new Kramer school this past December. During Miami’s trip to the St. Petersburg Bowl, the junior-to-be spent time at the local children’s hospital as well.
Guiser, a safety, was named a first-team Academic All-American, just the second in Akron program history. Also named a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-MAC selection, Guiser played in nine games with eight starts at free safety. He finished fourth on the defense with 53 tackles, 2.0 TFL, a sack, an interception, a blocked punt, and two break-ups.
Harris has balanced both top notch performances on the football field and success off the field at Eastern Michigan. A reigning Third Team All-MAC selection, Harris was also named a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete, as well as being selected as EMU Football's Committed to Excellence Award recipient. In addition, Harris played a big part in the football team wracking up more than 500 hours of community service this past season, volunteering for such things as Friends In Deed, EMU's Victory Day, and at the Ranfurly Home for Kids while in the Bahamas for the Bahamas Bowl.
Ostman, a senior from St. Ignace, earned All-MAC Second Team honors in 2016 when he led Central Michigan and ranked second in the MAC and 34th nationally with nine sacks. He finished with 69 tackles including 41 solos and 13.5 tackles-for-loss. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles.
Palazeti started all 12 games on the offensive line for Ball State last season, including 11 at center and one at left guard. He helped the Cardinals average 220 rushing yard per game, their highest average since 1978 (238.6 ypg). Palezeti and the Cardinals' offensive line held the opposition to one sack or less in eight contests. Palazeti will serve as one of the captains for the Cardinals this season. He is a three time Academic All-MAC honoree and was voted Ball State's most improved player by his teammates in 2016.
Scharping, NIU's team leader in community service hours logged, has taken part in 12 different activities in the DeKalb-Sycamore communities over the past year. His involvement ranges from volunteering at various local "fun fairs" organized by local schools and the YMCA, to spending nine hours on a recent Saturday assisting with the Bike MS event to raise funds for multiple sclerosis. He is a regular at the DeKalb Rehab and Nursing Center "Game Night" and also worked with underprivileged youth in the community as part of Camp Power. On the field, Scharping is NIU's top offensive lineman, and was a part of the unit that allowed just eight sacks in 12 games a year ago as NIU led the nation in fewest sacks allowed. NIU led the MAC and ranked 16th nationally in rushing offense a year ago as Scharping's blocking efforts helped pave the way to eight 100-yard rushing games by three teammates. He earned first team All-MAC accolades while playing right tackle and moves to the left side for 2017.
Thompson was a first-team All-MAC selection in 2016. He caught 64 passes for a school-record 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was ninth in the nation with 19.8 yards per reception. Thompson, who earned Academic All-MAC honors in 2016, is a marketing major with a 3.664 grade point average. He has volunteered for numerous community activities and organizations, including the Toledo Boys and Girls Club, Ronald McDonald House, Cherry Street Mission, RockeThon for Mercy Children's Hospital, Kids Day at the Glass City Marathon, Rocket Football Victory Day, the Toledo Crash wheelchair football team, and many others.
Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Voting for the Wuerffel Trophy is performed by a National Selection Committee that includes college football television and print media, industry notables, former head coaches and prior Wuerffel Trophy recipients.
