The NCAA News - News & Features

NACDA awards Preseason Games Scholar-Athlete grants

$50,000 in scholarships given from Kickoff, Pigskin Classics

Ten winners of annual Preseason Games Scholar-Athlete Awards have been announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

The winners, chosen from 306 nominees, each will receive a $5,000 grant to be used toward postgraduate studies. The total of $50,000 in scholarships is funded by proceeds from NACDA's two preseason football games, the Kickoff and Pigskin Classics.

The NACDA Foundation has awarded close to $6.5 million is scholarships since 1983.

The recipients (with institution, sport and grade-point average) are Adam Burgasser, University of California, San Diego, diving, 3.970 (4.000 scale); Elizabeth Crone, Brown University, rowing, 3.830; Amy DeVasher, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, swimming, 3.940; David Dickenson, University of Montana, football, 3.840; Aaron Graham, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, football, 3.330; Jeremy Hogue, University of Southern California, football, 3.900; Rusty LaRue, Wake Forest University, football, 3.180; Jennifer Rizzotti, University of Connecticut, basketball, 3.420; Ebony Robinson, University of Florida, track and field, 3.520; and Jonathan Zerger, Bethel College (Kansas), football, 4.000.

The winners received the awards at NACDA's 31st annual convention June 9-12 in Marco Island, Florida. They were honored June 11 during the scholarship awards luncheon presented by Sears. Bill Raftery of ESPN served as master of ceremonies for the event.

Athletes from all sports are eligible for the awards. Each of the 306 nominees had a minimum grade-point average of 3.000 or above (4.000 scale) in undergraduate study, was named at least to an all-conference or all-American squad in a sport, and was in the final year of athletics eligibility.

Because funding for the scholarships comes from the preseason football games, five of the 10 scholarships are awarded to football players (three in Division I-A and two in other divisions). The other five scholarships are awarded in other sports.