NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The NCAA at its 39th annual Honors Dinner January 11 bestowed its highest honors on current and former student-athletes who exemplify the best in collegiate athletics with their strength, passion, conviction and willingness to give of themselves both on and off the field.

Alan Page, a former football student-athlete at the University of Notre Dame, received the Association's highest honor: the Theodore Roosevelt Award. The "Teddy" is presented annually to a distinguished citizen of national reputation and outstanding accomplishment.

Page is a former National Football League standout who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1967 and played until his retirement from the Chicago Bears in 1981. During that time he went to eight Pro Bowls and played in four Super Bowls. Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1993.

While playing professional football, Page attended the University of Minnesota Law School and graduated in 1978. He has served on the Minnesota Supreme Court since 1993 and is the only African-American ever elected to the court.

In 1988, he launched the Page Education Foundation, which encourages Minnesota's youth of color to continue their education beyond high school and provides scholarships for these students. In the 2002-03 academic year, there were 565 Page Scholars.

Page also previously served on the NCAA Honors Committee.

"It wasn't that long ago that I served on the Honors Committee, though I must confess that it never occurred to me then, or 12 years ago when I received the Silver Anniversary Award, that I would one day have my name included in this community of outstanding individuals who have received the Teddy Award," Page said. "Indeed I'm still not sure that I qualify, but I will accept."

In his remarks, Page stressed the importance of being a positive role model for children. He emphasized that character is not about scoring goals or making touchdowns, but about what people do off the field. It's about taking responsibility, he said, and using influence in a positive way.

"I believe that children are the future and that the future is mostly about hope, and if we are to make the future better and brighter, then we must educate our children, for they will be tomorrow's leaders," he said. "I know that the problems we face, whether we're talking about equity, character or education, can seem overwhelming and out of control. I believe there are solutions to these problems and that we can get them under control.

"You don't have to be a Supreme Court justice, or even a football hero, to make change happen. Everyone here has the ability and the opportunity and I believe the obligation to make the world a better place. All we have to do is act, and act we must."

Awards for valor and inspiration also were given at the dinner. Jimmy Baxter, a basketball and track and field student-athlete from the University of South Florida, was honored with the Award of Valor. Heather Denison, a volleyball student-athlete from the University of Portland; Emily Miller, a former soccer student-athlete from the University Tennessee at Martin; and Mike Nyeholt, a former swimmer at the University of Southern California, received the NCAA Inspiration Award.

Baxter was recognized for his heroic efforts to save a father and son from drowning after a car accident in December 2002 in which their car flipped and landed upside down in a ditch rapidly filling with water. He was able to use a crowbar to break the car's windows and pull the pair to safety. Two months earlier, he had scared away a man strangling a woman near his apartment.

"Many people say I'm a hero, an angel, I really don't think that," he said. "I'm just Jimmy Baxter, a guy God put in a particular place at that time. I was thankful to be there.

"I hope and pray that many of you, if you ever have a chance to open your hearts to others, you do the same."

Denison was recognized for her determination to earn a college degree. Abandoned by her father at 2, she lost her grandmother at 7. By 10, with her mother unable to care for her, she became self-sufficient. In high school, she moved in with her best friend's family and pursued athletics as a means to obtain her college education.

"I owe my achievements to many individuals, friends, coaches and numerous families, but most of all I owe my success to my ongoing participation in athletics," she said. "It is this structure that has kept me on the right path and has given me the opportunity to turn what most would consider misfortune into a platform from which to rise.

"I hope that my success can be an example to many that you're only as strong as you think you are and all dreams are possible."

Miller was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in April 2003. After surgery and chemotherapy, she endured 14 weeks of rehabilitation and trained herself to walk again. Miller has become a spokesperson for St. Jude Hospital and plans to return to school in the fall 2004 to complete her degree in Spanish and then attend nursing school.

"My cancer only has a 70 percent survival rate so when I was diagnosed last April, I had to make a conscious decision about whether I was going to lie there and die, lie there and survive or get up and win. I chose to win," she said. "I feel like I have finally found my place in the world. I know what I'm supposed to do with myself and I know that I am destined to help others.

"All of the sudden, I have a new purpose in my life and it has nothing to do with recognition or praise or even soccer. It has to do with this undeniable urge I have to help other people in my situation and make them aware that they, too, can choose to win."

Nyeholt, an all-American for the Southern California swim team from 1975 to 1978, was paralyzed from the chest down after a 1981 motorcycle accident. From money left over from a fund started for his benefit, Nyeholt launched The Physically Challenged Athlete's Fund at Southern California. Since 1981, the fund's swim-a-thon, "Swim with Mike," has raised more than $3.5 million, covering more than 40 full scholarships for physically challenged athletes.

"It's probably safe to say that all of us on this stage today at many times in our lives have been recognized for our athletics achievements. For me, I can honestly say, that the pride I take from my athletics accomplishments pales in comparison to the pride that fills me when I think about the success of 'Swim with Mike,' " he said. "It is our hope that as our fund-raising efforts continue to grow, many more of the institutions represented here today will welcome one of our recipients (of The Physically Challenged Athlete's Fund) on their campus."

Silvers, Top VIII

Six former student-athletes were honored, not only for their achievements while in college, but also the work they have done in the 25 years since they graduated. Silver Anniversary honorees were Trish Millines Dziko, former basketball, volleyball, softball student-athlete from Monmouth College (Illinois); Bruce Furniss, former swimming student-athlete from Southern California; Virginia Gilder, former rowing student-athlete from Yale University; Stacey Johnson, former fencing student-athlete from San Jose State University; Kellen Winslow, former football student-athlete from the University of Missouri, Columbia; and Gregory Kelser, former basketball student-athlete from Michigan State University.

"Dr. Martin Luther King once said, 'Everything we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.' He was also known to have said on many occasions, 'Life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others,' " Kelser said while speaking on behalf of the Silver Anniversary honorees. "Participation in sports provides a very visible platform from which we can have a positive influence on others. In truth, we are all role models, every single one of us; I don't think we have a choice. The only question is what type of role model are we going to be. From whatever platform we have, my hope is that we will all revel in our opportunities to be that reflection for someone else's light."

Also receiving awards were Today's Top VIII, which are current and former student-athletes recognized for their achievements in athletics, in the classroom and in their communities. This year's winners were Andrew Hilliard, football and track and field student-athlete from University of St. Thomas (Minnesota); Craig Krenzel, football student-athlete from Ohio State University; Theresa Kulikowski, gymnastics student-athlete from the University of Utah; Kara Lawson, basketball student-athlete from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Eli Manning, football student-athlete from the University of Mississippi; Alice Duesing Nightingale, basketball student-athlete from Lake Superior State University; Leoandra Willis Rogers, gymnastics student-athlete from the University of California, Los Angeles; and Kristin Sterner, gymnastics student-athlete from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

"During our collegiate careers we have represented our universities in an extraordinary fashion, whether it was in our respective playing arenas, in the classroom or in the community. This would not be possible without the help of countless people who gave their all on our behalf," Lawson said on behalf of the Top VIII award winners. "There is something unique that lies within each of these athletes -- something in their fabric that allows them to demand excellence in every phase of their lives, to refuse to be average. It is this trait that wins championships, alters the landscape of communities, that inspires others and that ultimately leads to success."