NCAA Award of Valor
Encyclopedia
The NCAA Award of Valor is presented by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to recognize "courageous action or noteworthy bravery" by persons involved with intercollegiate athletics.
Potential recipients of the Award of Valor are current intercollegiate athletics coaches or administrators and current or former varsity letter
-winners at NCAA institutions who, when confronted with situations involving personal danger, acted with valor to avert or minimize potential disaster. Valor is described as "the strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to brave danger with boldness and firmness." Members of the armed forces and police forces may receive the award for duty-connected actions if their actions were "clearly above and beyond the call of duty."
The Award of Valor is presented during an award celebration at the NCAA's annual convention. It is not presented automatically on an annual basis. Selection is based on heroic action occurring in the previous academic year.
The recipients of the NCAA Award of Valor are:
Potential recipients of the Award of Valor are current intercollegiate athletics coaches or administrators and current or former varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
-winners at NCAA institutions who, when confronted with situations involving personal danger, acted with valor to avert or minimize potential disaster. Valor is described as "the strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to brave danger with boldness and firmness." Members of the armed forces and police forces may receive the award for duty-connected actions if their actions were "clearly above and beyond the call of duty."
The Award of Valor is presented during an award celebration at the NCAA's annual convention. It is not presented automatically on an annual basis. Selection is based on heroic action occurring in the previous academic year.
The recipients of the NCAA Award of Valor are:
- 1974 - Charles G. "Lefty" DriesellLefty DriesellCharles Grice "Lefty" Driesell is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA...
, men's basketball coach at the University of MarylandMaryland Terrapins men's basketballThe Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
; in a fire that destroyed four townhouses, broke into a burning building and began evacuating children. - 1974 - William J. ("Jeff") Miller; University of Texas at ArlingtonUniversity of Texas at ArlingtonThe University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
football player, saved four people from a fire at Gcrhardt-Owens munitions plant in Cleburne, Texas. He made four trips into the plant, despite serious danger to his own life, to save others. - 1974 - The Ursinus College 1973 Basketball Team. Every member of the team entered a burning building; their combined efforts led to the rescue of 14 persons.
- 1977 - Dwayne A. Wright, saved two people who were trapped in a burning automobile.
- 1982 - Timothy J. McCarthyTim McCarthyTimothy J. McCarthy is the current police chief of Orland Park, Illinois and a former member of the United States Secret Service. He is most famous for turning into the line of fire, shielding President Ronald Reagan and being wounded by one of John Hinckley, Jr.'s .22 caliber bullets in the 1981...
. A former football player at University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, United States Secret ServiceUnited States Secret ServiceThe United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agent wounded on March 30, 1981 during an assassination attempt on President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. McCarthy stepped in front of President Reagan, saving the President from harm at considerable risk to his own life. The shooting occurred hours before the men's basketball national championship game1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
between Indiana and North Carolina. - 1984 - Joseph A. DelaneyJoe DelaneyJoe Alton Delaney was an American football running back who played two seasons in the National Football League . In his two seasons with the Chiefs, Delaney set four franchise records that would stand for over 20 years....
. A former all-American performer in football and track at Northwestern State UniversityNorthwestern State UniversityNorthwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
and budding star with the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, Delaney died trying to save three youngsters from drowning. - 1998 - Shannon Shea Smith. University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, Smith gave his life while saving the 6-year-old son of Hawaii's head football coach from drowning in a whirl pool. - 2000 - John E. Berry Jr. Williams CollegeWilliams CollegeWilliams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, two-sport student-athlete who gave up his final year of eligibility in football to donate a kidney to his older brother. - 2001 - Rob Best (1972 graduate of Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
), Shawn Elliot (1996 graduate of Appalachian State UniversityAppalachian State UniversityAppalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
) and Stacey Searels (graduate of Auburn UniversityAuburn UniversityAuburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
), all members of the Appalachian State UniversityAppalachian State UniversityAppalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
football coaching staff, saved a number of people from a fiery crash. - 2004 - Jimmy BaxterJimmy BaxterJimmy Baxter is an American professional basketball player who previously played for Ilisiakos B.C. in Greece and now plays for KK Krka in Slovenia.- References :...
, University of South FloridaUniversity of South FloridaThe University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, saved two men trapped in a vehicle after a violent crash. - 2007 - Derek HinesDerek HinesDerek Jabez Hines was an English football player who played for Derby County, Shrewsbury Town, Rugby Town and most notably Leicester City....
, 2003 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, who demonstrated valor in Afghanistan before being killed there. - 2008 - Emily PerezEmily PerezEmily Jazmin Tatum Perez was the first female minority Cadet Command Sergeant Major in the history of the United States Military Academy at West Point.-Biography:...
, 2005 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, who died after an improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive deviceAn improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
exploded near her vehicle in Iraq and whose U.S. Army unit recognized her for her leadership after her death. - 2008 - Doug Zembiec, a 1995 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, who was a major in the U.S. Marines and had demonstrated heroism in several incidents before his death in Iraq.
- 2009 - Roxana SaberiRoxana SaberiRoxana Saberi is an American journalist who was arrested in Iran in January 2009. On April 8, 2009, the Iranian government charged Saberi with espionage, which she denied. She was subsequently sentenced to an eight-year prison term...
, a freelance journalist on an alleged espionage charge in Iran. She repeatedly avowed her innocence. She was eventually freed and returned home to the United States, in January 2009. Roxana Saberi graduated from Concordia College Northwestern University and King's College, Cambridge University
See also
- NCAA Inspiration AwardNCAA Inspiration AwardThe NCAA Inspiration Award is awarded to one of the following who is associated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association: a current or former varsity letter-winner, a coach, or an administrator...
- NCAA Sportsmanship AwardNCAA Sportsmanship AwardThe NCAA Sportsmanship Award is given each year to one man and one woman in National Collegiate Athletics Association sports who have demonstrated one or more of the ideals of sportsmanship, including fairness, civility, honesty, unselfishness, respect and responsibility...
- NCAA Woman of the Year AwardNCAA Woman of the Year AwardThe NCAA Woman of the Year Award was created to honor a senior female student-athlete who has distinguished herself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. Each year, ten finalists are selected from a larger pool of...
- NCAA Gerald R. Ford AwardNCAA Gerald R. Ford AwardThe NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award was named in recognition of Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States. Presented by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the award honors an individual who has provided significant leadership in the role of advocate for intercollegiate athletics and...
- Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA)Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA)The Silver Anniversary Awards are given each year by the American National Collegiate Athletic Association to recognize six distinguished former student-athletes on their 25th anniversary as college graduates. The Silver Anniversary Awards were first given in 1973, when five distinguished former...