The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Beck named semifinalist for Jason Witten College Man of the Year Award
11.15.2018 | Football
Andrew Beck is one of 20 football student-athletes recognized.
DALLAS, Texas - Texas Football's senior tight end Andrew Beck has been named a semifinalist for the second annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year. The 20 semifinalists were compiled by the selection committee and have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
A two-time captain, Beck has overcome three injuries in his career to the same foot and has returned this season to start all 10 games to date for the No. 13 Longhorns, who sit at 7-3, 5-2 entering Saturday's Senior Night tilt with Iowa State. Beck has a career-high 22 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown this season.
After injuring his foot during spring practices in 2017, Beck reinjured the same foot in a non-contact injury during August camp and missed the entire 2017 season, what would've been his senior year. Instead of calling it quits, Beck got surgery again, rehabbed throughout the season, took a redshirt and returned for 2018. Despite not playing last season, Beck was named a captain.
As he returned in 2018, he continued to exemplify leadership - both on and off the field - and was once again named a team captain by vote of his teammates. The son of an Army ranger, Beck has lived in 11 different places during his life before coming to Austin. Beck graduated in May with a degree in corporate communications and has been active in the Austin community throughout his career on the Forty Acres.
Seventeen seniors and three juniors make up the list. Among conferences, the Big Ten and Big 12 led the way with five selections each, while Conference USA had three.
The full list of semifinalists includes: Bryce Holland (Army), Derrick Brown (Auburn), Johnathan Lloyd (Duke), Azeez Al-Shaair (Florida Atlantic), J-Shun Harris (Indiana), Nick Allegretti (Illinois), David Montgomery (Iowa State), Joe Dineen, Jr. (Kansas), Dalton Risner (Kansas State), Brent Stockstill (Middle Tennessee), Tommy Doles (Northwestern), Drue Tranquill (Notre Dame), Oshane Ximines (Old Dominion), Justin Herbert (Oregon), Trace McSorley (Penn State), Kieran Whitner (Syracuse), Kyle Phillips (Tennessee), Andrew Beck (Texas), Ty Summers (TCU) and D'Cota Dixon (Wisconsin).
Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 10. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on February 12, 2018, at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Last year, the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year was presented to Shaquem Griffin of UCF, who helped lead the Knights to a perfect season while becoming one of the most inspirational stories in all of sports. Griffin was presented with the award at a ceremony last February.
The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport and the Cowboys' all-time leading receiver, served as one of football's most prominent role models during his 15-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
"I am honored to announce this impressive group as the semifinalists for the second annual Collegiate Man of the Year," said Witten. "All of these student-athletes are shining examples of what makes college athletics so great. These 20 men have demonstrated exceptional character and leadership, often while overcoming large challenges. They are great representatives for the game of football, and I commend all nominees for getting to this point."
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 10 years. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states. SCORE has also operated a weekend food backpack program for disadvantaged children in North Texas, opened Jason Witten Learning Centers in five different Boys & Girls Clubs and opened the Jason and Michelle Witten Emergency Waiting Room at the Niswonger Children's Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn.
