BATON ROUGE — Already a finalist for the “Academic Heisman Trophy”, LSU center Rudy Niswanger is now one of 13 finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy the All Sports Association of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., announced on Thursday.
The Wuerffel Trophy, which been referred as the “The Humanitarian Heisman,” is a national award that honors a college football player who best combines exemplary community service with outstanding academic and athletic achievement. The award is named after former Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, who led the Florida Gators to the 1996 national championship and played six years in the NFL.
“There are many awards that honor players for excellence at their particular position or for their skills and there are some academic related awards, but there is no award that honors a player for all-around excellence in athletics, academic achievement and community service,” said John Watts, president of the All Sports Association. “We feel strongly that Fort Walton Beach’s own Danny Wuerffel has become the epitome of someone who best embodies the combination of all three of these important traits and that is why our organization is stepping forward to present this trophy in his honor.”
Niswanger, in his third year as a starter on the offensive line for the Tigers, recently graduated with a 4.0 grade point average in kinesiology with an emphasis on pre-medicine. Niswanger has already been named a National Scholar-Athlete this year by the National Football Foundation. He’s been accepted to LSU Medical School in Shreveport once his football playing days are over.
Last year, Niswanger earned ESPN the Magazine First-Team Academic All-America honors.
On the football field, Niswanger has played in 42 games with 23 starts at five different positions on the offensive line. A year ago, he helped LSU to have the most potent rushing attack in the SEC as the Tigers averaged nearly 200 yards rushing a contest.
During his LSU career, Niswanger has been a part of two SEC Championship teams as well as playing a key role during the Tigers’ national title run in 2003.
In the community, Niswanger regularly volunteers his time mentoring area children at the elementary and junior high and high schools levels. During the recent devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Niswanger, along with many of his teammates spent time volunteering at the shelters on the LSU campus.
Niswanger is also an active member of the Chapel on the Campus and the Campus Crusade for Christ.
“This award is not just a little different from all the other awards, it’s a lot different,” former college football coach and current ESPN analyst Bill Curry said. “When I was approached about this I was a little skeptical until I realized it was the embodiment of everything that Danny Wuerffel stands for. The spirit of this award is something that is long overdue. You’re recognizing not only a great athlete and a great student but someone who also gives and gives.”
A voting committee, which includes 10 prominent Wuerffel Trophy regional directors, will vote on the finalists and the winner will be announced later this month.
The Wuerffel Trophy will be presented to the winner at the All Sports Association’s Awards Banquet in February.