Sakoda Named to 2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, from a nationwide pool of 164 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 2008 National Scholar-Athlete winners, who will vie as the finalists for the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth.

The Mountain West Conference had two football players selected among the 15 finalists as Colorado State senior linebacker Jeff Horinek and Utah senior place kicker/punter were chosen from a nationwide pool of 164 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA. The MWC is one of three conferences (Big Ten and Big 12) with multiple student-athletes selected as 2008 National Scholar-Athlete recipients.

Each will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship, and one of the 15 will be announced as the recipient of the 2008 Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the winner's scholarship to $25,000. A total distribution of more than $275,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.

"We set extremely high standards just to be considered as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete class," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Draddy winner) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "These individuals far exceed even those high standards, defining well-rounded excellence throughout their college careers. They are true ambassadors of our mission and a testament to the positive influence of football's ability to build our nation's future leaders."

The NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is recognized as the first and most prestigious initiative in the history of college sports to honor football players for their combined athletic ability, academic success and civic leadership. This year's class members finds themselves in good company, as former National Scholar-Athletes include NFL standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA); Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Danny Wuerffel (Florida).

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Selected by the NFF Awards Committee, the 15 National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will be honored at the 2008 NFF Annual Awards Dinner December 9 at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. The event will also include the induction of the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame and the presentation of several major awards.

"This year's selection process was incredibly difficult, as all 164 semifinalists were more than worthy of this award," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We feel the 2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class is the most complete group - academically, athletically and in the community - we've ever showcased, and the finalists are without a doubt the most outstanding student-athletes among all college sports."

2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Notes

• 3.71 Average GPA
• 12 Team Captains (R.Berry, Daniel, Freeman, Harrell, Harris, Horinek, Kees, Mack, McDonald, Micheli, Richard, Robiskie)
• 15-of-15 Academic All-Conference Athletes
• 10 All-Conference Athletes (A.Berry, Daniel, Harrell, Harris, Horinek, Kees, Mack, Micheli, Robiskie, Sakoda)
• Six ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Selections (A.Berry, Freeman, McDonald, Micheli, Richard, Robiskie)
• Four All-America Picks (Daniel, Mack, Micheli, Sakoda)
• One Heisman Trophy Finalist (Daniel)
• One Rhodes Scholar Semifinalist (Gerald)
• Five Four-Year Starters (A.Berry, Harris, Horinek, McDonald, Sakoda)
• Five Members of Nationally Ranked Teams (A.Berry, Daniel, Micheli, Robiskie, Sakoda)
• Five Members of Conference Championship Teams (A.Berry, R.Berry, Gerald, Micheli, Robiskie)
• Two Players in a National Championship Game (Micheli, Robiskie)
• Eight Offensive Players (R.Berry, Daniel, Freeman, Harrell, Mack, McDonald, Micheli, Robiskie)

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME
Founded in 1947 with leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 121 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Play It Smart, the NFF-FWAA Football Forum, the NFF Gridiron Clubs of New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF awards the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

BIOS FOR THE 2008 NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD WINNERS

LOUIE SAKODA
Punter/Kicker, University of Utah
Marketing - 3.73

One of the country's most potent special teams threats, Louie Sakoda's classroom success is as impressive as the No. 10 Utes' place in the national spotlight this season.

A three-time Academic All-Mountain West selection, the San Jose, Calif., native garnered Utah's Athletics-Academics Honor Roll recognition in each semester of his collegiate career. The marketing major has been named a Mountain West Scholar-Athlete since his freshman year and was a Dean's List honoree three times.

The two-time Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year received First Team All-America recognition as both a place kicker and a punter in 2007. Sakoda is the only dual punter/kicker in the country ranked in the top 10 nationally in both punting average (43.0 yards) and field goal percentage (88.2). He ranks fourth in the nation among active players with 9,249 career punt yards and 219 career punts, holding the school record in both categories.

Vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Sakoda is involved in Team Lincoln, which organizes recess activities for at-risk children. He has also worked with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to raise money for humanitarian efforts around the world and has been a volunteer worker at the Chris Sailer National Kicking and Snapping Event in Las Vegas the past three years.

Utah's last NFF National Scholar-Athlete was Melville Carpenter in 1964.

JEFF HORINEK
Linebacker, Colorado State University
Exercise Science/Liberal Arts - 3.92
Recipient of the Jefferson Walker Kirby National Scholar-Athlete Award

Arguably one of the finest student-athletes in Colorado State history, Jeff Horinek has established himself among the nation's elite both on and off the college gridiron.

Twice the recipient of the Rams Head Academic Excellence Award, Horinek was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team in 2007. A three-time Academic All-Mountain West pick, the Atwood, Kan., native garnered the 2007-08 Merrill Gheen Male Student-Athlete of the Year Award at CSU. With a dual-major in exercise science and liberal arts, Horinek was chosen as the recipient of the 2007 Air Force Game Water Pik Academic Excellence Award last season.

In 2007, the two-time Honorable Mention All-Mountain West selection led the Rams with 94 tackles, the most by a Colorado State player in four years. The team captain and four-year starter has logged 274 career tackles and was named a Freshman All-America Honorable Mention selection in 2005.

Horinek has participated in the Ram Jam Children's Community Event for four years and has tallied numerous hours of service at Timberline Church in Fort Collins, Colo. He has also volunteered for the "Cans Around the Oval" campus-wide event, which is the largest food drive in Northern Colorado, while dedicating 60 hours of service to the Human Performance and Clinical Research Lab at CSU.

Greg Myers was Colorado State's last NFF National Scholar-Athlete in 1995.

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