Tim Tebow and Stacey Nelson Honored with Ben Hill Griffin Award
Thursday, January 22, 2009 | General
University of Florida student-athletes junior quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville, Fla.) and senior pitcher Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) were named the 2009 recipients of the Ben Hill Griffin Award, announced Thursday by the University Athletic Association.
The award, established by Gator Boosters, Inc., and the UAA, recognizes and honors the top male and female student-athletes who excel in both athletic and academic achievement and extra-curricular involvement. This is the second consecutive year Tebow was honored with the award and the first for Nelson.
Tebow finished the 2008 season as UF's leading rusher (673 yards, 12 touchdowns), while connecting on 192-of-298 passes for 2,746 yards and 30 touchdowns to lead the Gators to the both the SEC and National Championship titles. The two titles marked the second time in the last three years Florida has won both crowns. Tebow was additionally named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year by both the media and the league's coaches, while also earning first-team All-SEC honors by both outlets.
Boasting an extensive list of awards, including the Maxwell Award, the Manning Award and as the recipient of the 2008 Wuerffel Trophy, Tebow's presence and contributions extend beyond the football playing field into the classroom and community.
Tebow boasts a 3.70 grade point average while working toward a degree in Family, Youth and Community Service. In his major classes, he holds a 3.81 GPA. He was named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American for the second year in a row, becoming just the fourth UF football player to achieve Academic All-America recognition in consecutive seasons. He was also named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the SEC coaches after the 2008 season.
With his recent success, the opportunities for Tebow to reach out to community have amplified, allowing him to have spent over 500 hours of community service and appearances this year, including making phone calls to sick children and going on hospital visits to pediatric wings, while also taking advantage of his breaks from school to go abroad on several missions trips.
In her three years at Florida, Nelson has rewritten the pitching record books. Coming off the 2008 season that saw the Gators record an-NCAA record 70 wins, Nelson set 12 single-season records, including wins (47), strikeouts (363), earned run average (0.75) and appearances (59). Named the 2008 SEC Pitcher of the Year, she also holds eight career records, including wins (95), saves (15), strikeouts (759) and ERA (1.12). She has also named NFCA All-Southeast Region, All-SEC and All-SEC Tournament team in 2007 and 2008, while picking up SEC Tournament MVP and Women's College World Series All-Tournament team this past postseason.
The two-time NFCA and Easton All-American also garnered ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-America honors, becoming the first player in the program's history to not only be awarded first-team honors, but also earn All-America and Academic All-American accolades in the same season. The philosophy major has also been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll twice and upon graduation, she aspires to work her way toward become an advocate for children soldiers in Africa.
The number of Nelson's extra-curricular activities rivals her athletic awards. A representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), she was a co-chairman of Climb for Cancer, which gives children with cancer a chance to play sports with UF student-athletes. She also has spent time at various elementary schools in the Gainesville area, reading to children and being a mentor. As a member of the softball team, she helped build a home for a local family through Habitat for Humanity and has spent the last four holiday seasons delivery sneakers to children through the UAA's Gator Tracks program.
The award is named after Ben Hill Griffin and his family, who have been long-time, avid supporters and fans of Gator athletics. The selection committee was comprised of the President of Gators Boosters and UAA administrators, appointed by athletics director Jeremy Foley. Each coach could submit one nomination for each sport he or she coaches.
Tebow and Nelson will be presented with their awards at the Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, April 17. For information about attending the Hall of Fame Banquet, please call the Gators Boosters, Inc. (352) 375-4683 ext. 5000.
