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Brandon Martin Represents Ball State on Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
July 23, 2020 | Football
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Ball State linebacker Brandon Martin was one of seven Mid-American Conference football players to find his name on the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, which was unveiled Thursday afternoon. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy Winner, Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy is known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service."
Martin, a linebacker from Indianapolis, Indiana, was a key contributor on Ball State's defense in 2018 with 66 tackles but only played in the season opener last fall due to an injury. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Off the field, Martin was recognized earlier this year by Ball State's Multicultural Center with the Mary Etta Taylor-Rose Service Award. The award is presented annually to a student of color who has shown self-initiated service in a variety of agencies and has a consistent history of service to others within the Ball State and/or Muncie communities.
Martin served on Ball State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2019-20 as the group's social media and marketing executive. He came up with the #NoShameInMyGame hashtag that pushed the importance of mental health in one of SAAC's key initiatives. SAAC aimed to emphasize the importance of speaking up about one's mental health issues and finding strength in vulnerability during that campaign.
Martin has been involved in a handful of local community organization events as well, volunteering some of his time with Ball State Best Buddies, Ball State Dance Marathon and Muncie Mission. One person who has had a lasting positive impact on Martin is 10-year old Dominick Landreth, a child who was born with mitochondrial disease. Landreth connected with Martin and the rest of the football team in 2018 through the organization Team IMPACT.
Three other Cardinals have been named to other national preseason watch lists thus far – Caleb Huntley (Doak Walker Award), Antonio Phillips (Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award) and Amechi Uzodinma II (Jim Thorpe Award).
The Wuerffel Trophy is presented by Chick-fil-A® and also supported by its corporate partners Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones. The formal announcement of the 2020 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation's festivities in New York City on Dec. 8. The presentation of the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 52nd All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Feb. 19, 2021 in Fort Walton Beach. Last year's winner was Western Michigan quarterback Jon Wassink.
The Wuerffel Trophy is a proud member of the NCFAA, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards boast more than 800 recipients, dating back to 1935. For more information, go to www.NCFAA.org.
For more information on the Wuerffel Trophy, visit www.wuerffeltrophy.org.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State football team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateFB and @BSUCoachNeu.
Martin, a linebacker from Indianapolis, Indiana, was a key contributor on Ball State's defense in 2018 with 66 tackles but only played in the season opener last fall due to an injury. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Off the field, Martin was recognized earlier this year by Ball State's Multicultural Center with the Mary Etta Taylor-Rose Service Award. The award is presented annually to a student of color who has shown self-initiated service in a variety of agencies and has a consistent history of service to others within the Ball State and/or Muncie communities.
Martin served on Ball State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2019-20 as the group's social media and marketing executive. He came up with the #NoShameInMyGame hashtag that pushed the importance of mental health in one of SAAC's key initiatives. SAAC aimed to emphasize the importance of speaking up about one's mental health issues and finding strength in vulnerability during that campaign.
Martin has been involved in a handful of local community organization events as well, volunteering some of his time with Ball State Best Buddies, Ball State Dance Marathon and Muncie Mission. One person who has had a lasting positive impact on Martin is 10-year old Dominick Landreth, a child who was born with mitochondrial disease. Landreth connected with Martin and the rest of the football team in 2018 through the organization Team IMPACT.
Three other Cardinals have been named to other national preseason watch lists thus far – Caleb Huntley (Doak Walker Award), Antonio Phillips (Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award) and Amechi Uzodinma II (Jim Thorpe Award).
The Wuerffel Trophy is presented by Chick-fil-A® and also supported by its corporate partners Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones. The formal announcement of the 2020 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation's festivities in New York City on Dec. 8. The presentation of the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 52nd All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Feb. 19, 2021 in Fort Walton Beach. Last year's winner was Western Michigan quarterback Jon Wassink.
The Wuerffel Trophy is a proud member of the NCFAA, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards boast more than 800 recipients, dating back to 1935. For more information, go to www.NCFAA.org.
For more information on the Wuerffel Trophy, visit www.wuerffeltrophy.org.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State football team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateFB and @BSUCoachNeu.
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