by FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Teton Saltes (Oglala Lakota) has been named as one of three finalists for the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy announced. Saltes was a semifinalist last year, and he becomes UNM’s second finalist in the last four years, joining Garrett Adcock, who was a finalist in 2016.
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually to the Football Bowl Subdivision player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world. The award has honored over 1,300 nominees since its inception in 2005.
“Each year, it’s such a challenging task to narrow our group of semifinalists down to three, and this year was no exception,” said Danny Wuerffel. “However, these young men have really done some amazing things serving others in their hometowns, in their college communities, and around the world. We are excited to announce them as our 2020 Wuerffel Trophy finalists.”
Along with Saltes, the other two finalists are a pair of quarterbacks; Shai Werts of Georgia Southern University and Sam Ehlinger of the University of Texas.
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.
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy were made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Departments and closed on November 2. Semifinalists were named on December 8.
The formal announcement of the 2020 recipient is anticipated to be made the week of December 26 – January 2. The 2020 recipient will be featured on The Home Depot/ESPN College Football Awards Show on January 7, 2021 airing at 7:00pm EST.
