Oct. 12, 2010

BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins freshman wide receiver Daniel Wodicka (West Lafayette, IN/West Lafayette) was selected today as one of five winners of the 2010 National Football Foundation National High School Scholar Athlete Awards.  Each of the five recipients was selected as the best of the best from their region of the country at the high school level.  The five winners, who are now playing college football, are being recognized solely for their accomplishments in high school.

"With the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards, we annually strive to honor the absolute finest from the gridiron at the high school level," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "The accomplishments of this year's five nominees make us all proud, and their contributions both on and off the field set the standard for their peers to follow."

2010 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Honorees
(Currently freshmen in college, the award is solely based on their high school accomplishments)

Midwest Region
Daniel Wodicka from West Lafayette High School in West Lafayette, Ind., and NFF Joe Tiller/NW Indiana Chapter.
(Now at Johns Hopkins University)

East Region
Max Aaron Coale from River Hill High School in Clarksville, Md., and the NFF Greater Baltimore Chapter.
(Now at Princeton University.)

West Region
Tevin Hood from Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., and the NFF Valley of the Sun (Ariz.) Chapter.
(Now at Duke University.)

South Region
Ricky Zorn from Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas, and the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter.
(Now at Harvard University.)

Daniel Wodicka has 18 receptions for 262 yards and one touchdown in the first five games this season.

About Daniel Wodicka
Wodicka has quickly made an impact at Johns Hopkins as he has played in all five games for the Blue Jays (3-2) as he has 18 receptions for 262 yards and one touchdown thus far.  His 80-yard touchdown reception in last Friday’s 44-10 win over Dickinson is tied for the seventh-longest reception in school history and ranks as the third-longest by a Blue Jay freshman.  He is majoring in biomedical engineering.

“We are very excited that Daniel has been selected to receive such a prestigious award,” Johns Hopkins head coach Jim Margraff stated.  “He embodies everything we look for in a student-athlete; a young man of high character with a strong work ethic both in the classroom and on the football field.  He has made an immediate impact on our program and has already established himself as an exceptional representative of Johns Hopkins University and our football program.”

Throughout his high school career, Wodicka established himself as a versatile student-athlete, matching his stellar athletic accomplishments with an impeccable record in the classroom and as a leader in the West Lafayette community.

Named as one of the state of Indiana's top 50 players by the Indiana Football Coaches Association, Wodicka garnered four football letters, playing quarterback, defensive back, wide receiver and running back. After collecting all-state honors at wide receiver as a junior, Wodicka moved to quarterback his senior season and again garnered All-State honors while leading West Lafayette to an undefeated state championship in Class 3A. He earned the state's Mr. Football honors as a senior in 2009, and he was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Indiana North-South All-Star Game. 

In all, Wodicka caught 109 passes for 1,617 yards and 17 touchdowns; rushed for 2,011 yards and 34 scores on 249 carries; and completed 180 of 328 passes for 2,531 yards with 28 touchdowns against just six interceptions. In addition, he returned 35 punts for 436 yards and a touchdown; returned 17 kicks for 352 yards; and collected nearly 200 tackles, 12 interceptions, 26 pass breakups and five fumble recoveries.

With a 3.98 GPA on a four-point scale, Wodicka was valedictorian of his high school class. He was one of five players to earn an Indiana Football Hall of Fame scholarship and was the state's Class 3A Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award recipient.

Away from the gridiron, Wodicka led a group that earned Indiana's "Best Buddy Pair of the Year," working with a student with Down's Syndrome. He played cello in the school orchestra, mentored elementary school football players and visited residents of a local nursing home. He also started at point guard for three years on the West Lafayette basketball team and was a four-year starter in baseball.

"What you see is the honest reflection of Daniel," said West Lafayette head coach Marshall Overley. "He is positive and joyful whether he was competing for a state championship, working with elementary players in the summer, competing on the practice field or spending time with Larry, a friend with Down's Syndrome.”

About the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards
Selected from the 400,000 high school football players covered by the NFF Chapter Network, the five scholar-athletes will be honored for their high school accomplishments during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon Tuesday, December 7, 2010, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. First bestowed in 1991, the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards have become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include, but are not limited to, academic achievement, athletic accomplishments and leadership in the community.

With 120 outposts and more than 12,000 members, the NFF Chapter Network covers more than 4,800 high schools and 400,000 student-athletes in 47 states, annually analyzing the credentials of the top student-athletes from each of their regions. The chapters subsequently recognize approximately 3,300 of the best scholar-athletes at their local awards banquets, distributing more than $1 million in scholarships. From this pool of 3,300 scholar-athletes, the chapters nominate a group of finalists, and a national committee makes the final selections on the five winners, one from each region of the country, as the recipients of the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards.

During the past 19 years, 81 student-athletes have been recognized as NFF National High School Scholar-Athletes, and this year marks the 20th class, creating a new total of 86 all-time honorees. Recent notable recipients include Andrew Luck (2008, starting quarterback at Stanford), Andrew Rodriquez (2008, a starting linebacker at Army) and Bryant Browning (2006, a starting offensive tackle at Ohio State).

Four NFF National High School Scholar-Athletes have gone on to win NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards for their accomplishments in college. They are Bobby Hoying (1991, Ohio State and 1995 William V. Campbell Trophy winner), Eion Hu (1993, Harvard), Giovanni Carmazzi (1995, Hofstra), and Jon Stinchcomb (1998, Georgia).

Other notable past recipients include Todd Helton, who was honored in 1992 before playing quarterback at Tennessee and currently playing first base for the Colorado Rockies. Drew Henson was honored in 1998 before playing quarterback at Michigan quarterback and his professional football and baseball career. Brandon Fisher, the son of Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher, was honored in 2005 before going on to play for the Montana Grizzlies and amassing a 3.9 GPA as a 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist.

For tickets to the Dec. 7 luncheon in New York, please contact Ron Dilatush at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com or by calling 972-556-1000. Also at the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, five exceptional individuals, selected for their extraordinary dedication and efforts in fulfilling the NFF's mission, will be honored as the recipients of the 2010 NFF Chapter Leadership Awards. 

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