GLENVIEW, Ill. - Eastern Illinois senior wide receiver Micah Rucker has been named one of 10 finalists for the Awards and Recognition Association (ARA) Sportsmanship Award given to a football player who has demonstrated good sportsmanship on and off the field.
Rucker formed the Eastern Illinois campus chapter of UMADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and has been actively involved with reading programs at local schools. Rucker was an All-American receiver in his first season at EIU last year after transferring from the University of Minnesota.
Joining Rucker as finalists are Alex Brink (Washington State), Jordan Brown (Houston), Quentin Groves (Auburn), Jacob Gutierrez (Oklahoma), Dionte Johnson (Ohio State), Thomas Keith (Central Michigan), Jarrid Smith (Florida Atlantic), Jeremy Thompson (Wake Forest), Robert Valletti (Iona).
Former Brigham Young University Head Football Coach LaVell Edwards chairs the committee that selects college athletes who exemplify sportsmanship. Last year's winner, Rutgers University fullback Brian Leonard went on to play for the St. Louis Rams.
The 2007 Sportsmanship Award will be announced this December. Finalists represent a variety of schools of all sizes and locations throughout the United States and award criteria take into consideration the athlete's conduct both on and off the field.
"ARA's Sportsmanship Award is the only national award that recognizes an athlete's character and leadership as it translates to sportsmanship," said Ed Hunt, president of the ARA. "Our panel looks for players that standout and contribute when playing and in life. It's encouraging to see so many of today's collegiate athletes who consistently conduct themselves in a highly sportsmanlike manner."
ARA Sportsmanship finalists are chosen by a panel that includes retired coaches including Don Nehlen (West Virginia), Dick MacPherson (Syracuse), Vince Dooley (Georgia), Gene Stallings (Alabama), Tubby Raymond (Delaware), Spike Dykes (Texas Tech), Don James (Washington) and Ted Tollner (San Diego State and USC) along with sports and media professionals and
representatives from ARA and other organizations.
To qualify for the award, an athlete must be a starting player or significant contributor on his team, be a senior in good academic standing, demonstrate great respect for competitors, school, teammates and coaches, show an ability to accept victory and defeat graciously, convey a high degree of humility and integrity, and demonstrate commitment in the classroom and to the community.
All NCAA Division I schools were eligible to submit nominations for the ARA Sportsmanship Award. The finalists were selected in a blind process. For more information, go to http://www.arasportsmanshipaward.com.
The Awards and Recognition Association is the official sponsor of the ARA Sportsmanship Award. ARA is a membership organization of 4,000 companies dedicated to increasing the professionalism of recognition specialists and advancing the awards and engraving industry.