The NCAA has announced the recipients of the 2007 Award of Valor and Inspiration Award.

The NCAA Honors Committee chose the late Derek Hines, who was an ice hockey player at the U.S. Military Academy, as the recipient of the Award of Valor, and David Denniston, a former swimming and diving student-athlete at Auburn University, as the winner of the Inspiration Award. Hines and Denniston will be recognized January 7 during the Honors Dinner at the 2007 NCAA Convention in Orlando.

The Award of Valor may be presented to a coach, administrator or current or former varsity student-athlete at an NCAA member institution who when confronted with a situation involving personal danger, averted or minimized potential disaster by courageous action or noteworthy bravery. Further, for members of the armed forces confronted with a duty-related situation to be eligible for the award, the action must be clearly above and beyond the call of duty and recognized by the appropriate military command.

The Inspiration Award honors a coach, administrator or current or former varsity student-athlete from an NCAA member school who showed perseverance, dedication and determination in overcoming a life-altering situation and now serves as a role model to others facing similar circumstances.

Neither the Inspiration nor Valor Award is presented automatically on an annual basis.

Hines wasn’t the biggest player on the ice for the Black Knights, but he played big according to Army head coach Brian Riley. "Hinesy" contributed 12 goals and 32 points during his four-year career and was perhaps better known for his unofficial fan club, whose members would show up at every home contest and bang Heinz ketchup bottles against the glass in an enthusiastic show of support for No. 7. He was named as alternate captain of the team as a senior.

After graduating from Army in 2003, Hines completed Army Ranger School and Airborne School. Eventually he was deployed to Afghanistan in March of last year, where the constant danger provided a backdrop for Hines’ numerous acts of courage before he was killed in action six months later.

A month into his tour of duty, Hines’ unit was surprised by small-arms fire while on patrol. Hines’ men ran for cover behind a rock but left a mortar exposed 15 feet away, which Hines retrieved. Several weeks later, his unit was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while on Humvee patrol. Despite being wounded by shrapnel from the attack, Hines climbed on an abandoned Humvee and began firing a .50-caliber machine gun, a weapon he had never handled before, to help stave off insurgents and protect other members of his unit.

Then on August 21, a Humvee in Hines’ unit was hit directly by a roadside bomb. Though he was able to pull the soldiers from the burning wreckage, none survived the blast. A hunt for the individual responsible for the attack led military personnel to Taliban Commander Thor Mullah Manan.

Early in the morning September 1, members of Hines’ squad, Afghan soldiers and police surrounded a house in the small village of Baylough, where Manan was hiding. While plans were being finalized for the arrest, the Taliban leader came out of the house disguised in the traditional black robes of a woman. He pulled out an automatic weapon and began firing. Hines jumped out of hiding and returned fire, killing Manan, but not before being fatally wounded himself. An Afghan interpreter also was killed. Hines was 25.

Army’s Riley said news of Hines’ death was devastating to a hockey program that hadn’t lost a player to combat since the Vietnam war. To honor Hines, his initials were inscribed on the Black Knights’ helmets and in Army’s home ice along with an American flag during the 2005-06 season. The program also established the Derek S. Hines Award, which recognizes a person who over the course of time has displayed extraordinary support to the Army hockey program.

Riley said that a photo of Hines, letters from his commanding officer and other memorabilia also have been placed throughout the locker room as not only a reminder of a fallen teammate, but also as an example of leadership.

"Derek was exactly the type of young man you hope all your cadets are when they are part of your program, but I think even more importantly, he was everything you hope your cadets will be when they leave your program," Riley said. "Ultimately, when you leave this world and you can impact as many people as Derek did in such a short amount of time, that speaks volumes about the type of young man he was."

Denniston’s determination to continue in athletics after an accident cut short his career as a world-class swimmer is among reasons he was chosen as an Inspiration Award recipient.

A 1999 NCAA champion and member of the U.S. National Team that competed in the 200-meter breaststroke in the 2003 World Championships, Denniston was making serious waves as an elite swimmer. That success came to an abrupt and tragic halt February 6, 2005, when he damaged his spine in a sledding accident in Wyoming. It took two hours for medics to reach him. As a result of the accident, he was paralyzed from the waist down.

Displaying some of the grit that had served him so well in the pool, Denniston immediately established a goal of regaining his ability to walk, despite being told by doctors that he may never do so again. He credits friends, family, former teammates and classmates for keeping him motivated.

"As soon as I was injured, I realized I had a choice I could make. I could be down and get caught up in all the things I couldn’t do anymore or I could make the most of every situation. Through the support of my family, I didn’t have much of a choice to make. I had to be upbeat and positive," said Denniston.

Buoyed by that support and his own determination, Denniston has made positive steps — literally — toward his goals. Eight months after the accident, his goal was to take 50 steps with assistance. He made 76. On the one-year anniversary of the accident, he eclipsed his goal of making 100 steps by 63. In May, Denniston stood without any help for the first time. Two months later, he did the same for the duration of the wedding ceremony of the friend who helped rescue him after the accident. Since then, he’s taken more than 200 steps with the assistance of his trainers and can now crawl.

Denniston describes his situation as a blessing, in part because he’s been able to contact friends and others he otherwise would not have met. "It’s much more exciting for me because I get so many more doors opened — figuratively and metaphorically — that wouldn’t have been opened otherwise. I get to meet some amazing people all over the country and be involved with other people with a similar situation as mine."

Through the accident, Denniston has gained entry into a field in which he has always been interested — motivational speaking. A communications major at Auburn, he said he was able to do some of that through clinics and other activities before the accident. But Denniston, who describes himself as a "motivational humorist," wanted to take it to the next level. He has done that through his "Mind Over Body" program, in which he uses honest daily trials and life-changing insight with humor to change athletes’ perspective on life as it relates to sport.

Denniston has reached out in other ways as well. Last May, friends and supporters organized the Dave Denniston Relay Across America. Initially launched to help raise funds for Denniston’s therapy and rehabilitation, the event raised $40,000. Now the relay benefits others through Project Walk, an exercise-based recovery program for people with spinal-cord injuries.

Denniston said being named as the Association’s most recent recipient of the Inspiration Award is meaningful and humbling.

"It makes me want to go out and be inspirational to the people I am involved with on a regular basis," he said. "Right now I feel like I’m a pretty regular guy doing things, and I don’t know if I’ve actually earned the inspirational part of it — so it’s inspired me to be more inspirational."