Ohio State wide receiver Kamryn Babb was named on Wednesday as one of 20 semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which is presented to a player who has demonstrated leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field.
Babb, a fifth-year senior from St. Louis, pulled down his first career reception – an eight-yard touchdown – in Saturday’s 56-14 win over Indiana. He was subsequently mobbed by his teammates, who saw first-hand the work he put in after tearing his ACL four times dating back to high school.
The following is from Witten’s SCORE Foundation, which has impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Tennessee and Texas – where he played collegiately for the Volunteers and the NFL's Dallas Cowboys – over the last 15 years through outreach programs and charitable donations.
“A two-time captain, (Babb’s) impact has been felt off the field as this fall he was awarded the Block ‘O’ jersey, which goes annually to the player who best personifies the qualities of the Ohio State great and Pro Football and College Football Hall of Famer Bill Willis.
“While Babb’s time on the field has been limited due to four knee surgeries, his impact off of it has been felt every day. His impact was felt most this past Saturday when he caught his first collegiate pass in Ohio State’s win over Indiana: an 8-yard touchdown pass.
“In addition to being a captain, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete, Babb had the honor last fall of speaking at the investiture of Ohio State University president Kristina M. Johnson. He graduated last December with his degree in communications.”
Other semifinalists include Auburn’s Derick Hall, California’s Matthew Cindric, Duke’s DeWayne Carter, East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers, Florida State’s Dillon Gibbons, Illinois’ Tailon Leitzsey, Iowa’s Kaevon Marriweather, Michigan’s Blake Corum, Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan, Mississippi State’s Austin Williams, Navy’s Xavier McDonald, N.C. State’s Isaiah Moore, Oklahoma State’s Brendon Evers, Oregon’s Alex Forsyth, Penn State’s Sean Clifford, Pittsburgh’s Deslin Alexandre, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman and Washington’s Edefuan Ulofoshio.
“This year’s group is especially impressive,” Witten said. “These 20 young men are fantastic student-athletes and perfect examples of what makes college football so great. They have demonstrated exceptional character and leadership, often while facing large challenges. They are great representatives for the game of football, and I commend all nominees for getting to this point.”
The award is named for Witten, who was the Pro Football Humanitarian of the Year in 2010 and Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2012. It has been presented annually since 2018, with previous winners including UCF’s Shaquem Griffin, Wisconsin’s D’Cota Dixon, Tennessee’s Trey Smith, Texas’ Sam Ehlinger and Kentucky’s Joshua Paschal.
Three finalists will be named on Dec. 14, while the winner will be announced during an awards ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on Feb. 23.
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