IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind – Indiana fifth-year senior wide receiver Nick Westbrook made his way on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, presented by Chick-fil-A Foundation®, it was announced on Thursday afternoon. Westbrook is also a nominee for the Allstate Good Works Team.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Westbrook's volunteering has included Everybody Plays - a sports program created by Indiana women's soccer player Allison Jorden and supported by the IU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the IU Excellence Academy. The new program offers sports-themed events for athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities, creating a chance for them to interact and learn from current IU student-athletes.

He additionally has volunteered with the Riley Children's Hospital, worked with Camp Riley and participated in Change The Play, where Riley Health is partnered with Andrew Luck to bring kids together to tackle one of the growing concerns we face today—childhood nutrition and health.

Westbrook has also spent time as a Generosity Feeds volunteer, visited Hearthstone Health and takes part in the 2nd & 7 Foundation, which promotes reading by providing free books and positive role models to kids in need while encouraging young athletes of the community to pay it forward.

The Lake Mary, Fla., native is a 2019 summer intern with the Indiana Department of Athletics Excellence Academy.

Westbrook returns for his final season after posting team-best totals of 590 yards, 49.2 yards per game and 14.0 yards per catch in 2018. The two-time Biletnikoff Award Watch List honoree and three-time Academic All-Big selection is the 19th Hoosier to reach 100 catches (102) and 1,500 yards (1,654) in a career.

Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities' Sports Information Departments and will close on October 15. A current list of nominees can be found at www.wuerffeltrophy.org beginning on August 1. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 5 and finalists will be announced on November 18.

The formal announcement of the 2019 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation's festivities in New York City on December 10. The presentation of the 2019 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 51st All Sports Association Awards Banquet on February 14, 2020 in Fort Walton Beach.

Past winners of the award are: Rudy Niswanger - LSU - 2005; Joel Penton - Ohio State - 2006; Paul Smith - Tulsa - 2008; Tim Tebow - Florida - 2008; Tim Hiller - Western Michigan - 2009; Sam Acho - Texas - 2010; Barrett Jones - Alabama - 2011; Matt Barkley - USC - 2012; Gabe Ikard - Oklahoma - 2013; Deterrian Shackelford - Ole Miss - 2014; Ty Darlington - Oklahoma - 2015; Trevor Knight - Texas A&M - 2016; Courtney Love - Kentucky – 2017; Drue Tranquill – Notre Dame – 2018.

The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast more than 800 recipients, dating back to 1935. Visit www.ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.

The Wuerffel Trophy is supported by its corporate partners, Chick-fil-A Foundation, Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones.

Westbrook and the Hoosiers open the 2019 campaign with a noon ET kickoff against Ball State at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Tickets for IU's six home games are available by clicking here, by phone at 1-866-IUSPORTS or in person at the Assembly Hall Ticket Office. IU will welcome Eastern Illinois (Sept. 7), Ohio State (Sept. 14), Connecticut (Sept. 21), Rutgers (Oct. 12 – Homecoming), Northwestern (Nov. 2) and Michigan (Nov. 23) to Memorial Stadium.

Indiana Football Preseason Watch Lists
Maxwell Award – Stevie Scott III
Allstate Good Works Team – Nick Westbrook
Doak Walker Award – Stevie Scott III
Rimington Trophy – Hunter Littlejohn
Outland Trophy – Coy Cronk
Lou Groza Award – Logan Justus
Wuerffel Trophy – Nick Westbrook

The Huddle

Nick Westbrook Named to The Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Hoosier Huddle