Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Andrew Spankuch named semifinalist for prestigious Draddy Trophy
By Dave Wester, SOSU Director of Sports Information
Oct 4, 2005
DURANT, Okla. (Oct. 4, 2005) Southeastern Oklahoma senior offensive tackle Andrew Spankuch has been selected as a semifinalist for the 2005 Draddy Trophy. Known in many circles as the Academic Heisman, the award is given annually by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame and presented by HealthSouth. The Draddy Trophy is one of college footballs most sought after and competitive awards, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.
Spankuch, a 6-5, 280-pound native of Tulsa, Okla., was Southeasterns nominee for the NFFs 2005 National Scholar-Athlete Award, an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship given each year to the finalists for the Draddy Trophy. The Jenks High School product graduated Cum Laude with bachelors in Business Administration with a marketing emphasis this past May. He is currently working towards his masters degree as he completes his playing career this fall. Spankuch is in his third season as a starter on the Savage offensive line and was chosen as a captain by his teammates this fall.
Spankuch is a two-time Academic All-District selection for Southeastern and was named the 2004 Lone Star Conference North Division Football Academic Player of the Year after being the top vote-getter on the leagues All-Academic Team as a junior. He is a two-time selection to Southeasterns Presidents Honor Roll earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the Fall 2001 and Spring 2003 semesters. He is a four-time honoree on the Deans List at SOSU and has been chosen to the Athletic Directors Honor Roll every semester he has been eligible. Spankuch was inducted into Alpha Chi Honor Society, an honor limited to just the top 10% of juniors and seniors at Southeastern. Athletically, he was named to the LSC North Division Second Team as a junior in 2004.
Spankuch is one of 184 semifinalists for this award, one of 20 from the ranks of NCAA Division II, of which 15 finalists will be announced on October 27. The winner of the 2005 Draddy Trophy will be announced at the 48th NFF Awards Dinner on December 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Semifinalists for this award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who founded Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. The group of semifinalists includes 106 players who have earned all-conference recognition on the field and 125 captains. The offensive line produced the most nominees with 45, and linebackers coming in second with 30 candidates. The most nominees (63) hail from NCAA Division I-A schools, while 44 come from DI-AA, 43 from DIII and 14 from NAIA schools.
The NFF Awards Committee, comprised of former coaches, Hall of Famers and college administrators, will select and announce 15 finalists. Each finalist will also be recognized during the Draddy Trophy presentation as part of the 2005 National Scholar-Athlete Class.
