Leadership

INSPIRED BY IMPACT

The voting committee for the Wuerffel Trophy is comprised of select national media, retired head coaches, past recipients, and the Wuerffel Trophy Board of Directors.

National Selection Committee

Tim BRando

FOX Sports Broadcaster, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

Tom Brassell

Wuerffel Trophy Executive Director, All Sports Association Hall of Fame Inductee

Mack Brown

College Football Hall of Fame Coach, University of North Carolina

Rodney Bullard

VP Community Affairs, Chick-fil-A®, Inc - Executive Director, Chick-fil-A® Foundation

Bob Casciola

Executive Director (Retired), National Football Foundation

Bill Curry

College Football Coach, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Georgia State - NFL Player

Rece Davis

ESPN

Mike Ditka

College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame, NFL Coach

Mike Gottfried

ESPN Analyst, NCAA Coach, Founder -Team Focus

Archie Griffin

1974 & 1975 Heisman Trophy Wecipient, College Football Hall Of Fame Football - Ohio State University

Steve Hatchell

President/CEO of the National Football Foundation

John Huarte

1964 Heisman Trophy Winner - University of Notre Dame, College Football Hall of Fame

John Humenik

Executive Director, (Retired) College Sports Information Directors of America

Kevin Negandhi

ESPN SportsCenter Anchor

Steve Owens

1969 Heisman Trophy Winner, University of Oklahoma, NFL, President Steve Owens Group

Holly Rowe

ESPN Reporter & Host

Laura Rutledge

Reporter & Host, ESPN and SEC Network

Matthew Sign

Chief Operating Officer, National Football Foundation

Steve Spurrier

1966 Heisman Trophy Winner, University of Florida, College Football Hall of Fame as Player & Coach

Maria Taylor

NBC Sports, All-SEC Volleyball -University of Georgia

Ben Wuerffel

Financial Advisor, Capital Analysts of Jacksonville

don yaeger

American Sports Journalist, New York Times Best Selling Author

"There is no greater trophy within the intercollegiate athletic world, that you can say has to do with character, than the Wuerffel Trophy. It's my honor to say that I am involved in some small way."

Tim Brando

Nominating and operating Committee

Tom Brassell

Wuerffel Trophy Executive Director

Dick Cannon

Mike CoupÉ

Rudy Niswanger

Wuerffel Trophy Recipient 2005

John Pankratz

Joel Penton

Wuerffel Trophy Recipient 2006

Charlie Potts

John Watts

Danny Wuerffel

Trophy Namesake

Jessica Wuerffel

Jon Wuerffel

Lola Wuerffel

Past Recipients

Dillan Gibbons

Wuerffel Trophy 2022
Florida State University

Isaiah Sanders

Wuerffel Trophy 2021
Stanford University

Teton Saltes

Wuerffel Trophy 2020
University of New Mexico

Jon Wassink

Wuerffel Trophy 2019
Western Michigan University

Drue Tranquill

Wuerffel Trophy 2018
University of Notre Dame

Courtney Love

Wuerffel Trophy 2017
University of Kentucky

Trevor Knight

Wuerffel Trophy 2016
University of Notre Dame

Ty darlington

Wuerffel Trophy 2015
University of Oklahoma

Deterrian Shackleford

Wuerffel Trophy 2014
University of Mississippi

Gabe Ikard

Wuerffel Trophy 2013
University of Oklahoma

Matt Barkley

Wuerffel Trophy 2012
University of Southern California

Barrett Jones

Wuerffel Trophy 2011
University of Alabama

Sam Acho

Wuerffel Trophy 2010
University of Texas

Tim Hiller

Wuerffel Trophy 2009
Western Michigan University

Tim Tebow

Wuerffel Trophy 2008
University of Florida

Paul Smith

Wuerffel Trophy 2007
University of Tulsa

Joel Penton

Wuerffel Trophy 2006
The Ohio State University

Rudy Niswanger

Wuerffel Trophy 2005
Louisiana State University

Conference Reps

ACC
BILL LINDSLEY

AMERICAN ATHLETIC
LEE LEWIS

Big Ten
Mike CoupÉ

BIG 12
DAVID JEFFCOAT

CONFERENCE USA
LARRY HIPSH

INDEPENDENTS & SUN BELt
TOM MANNING

MAC
MIKE MCGRAIL

MOUNTAIN WEST
BILL GRIGSBY

PAC 12
SARAH GATES-PICCHINI

SEC
DICK CANNON

“It’s the award every parent wants their kid to win!”

Sam Ponder, ESPN

THE MAN BEHIND THE SCENES

Tom Brassell - Executive Director

A native of Fort Walton Beach, Tom Brassell left the shores of Florida to attend Northwestern State University of Louisiana on a golf scholarship, and graduated with a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Accounting.  His career began in the oil and gas industry, then transitioned to Control Data Corporation in Denver and  Atlanta for over a decade. Brassell then found a way to combine his business acumen with his passion for the links, returning to his hometown to work for Edwin Watts Golf in a number of roles, a Worldwide Golf Shop’s brand. Recognizing his innate ability to connect, Worldwide Golf Shops Insider Podcast, tapped Brassell to host, where he has been the inviting voice behind over 380 successful episodes.  He has also served as the radio play-by-play voice for the Choctawhatchee High School Indians for 18 seasons.

Focused on service to others, Brassell joined the All Sports Association in 1997, serving as President in 2003 and is a two-time President’s Award Winner for service to the organization and the 2008 Col. Al Byrne Award Winner for volunteer service to the community’s youth. He served as Chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee, serves on the Col. Al Byrne Award Committee and was one of the founding members of the Wuerffel Trophy’s Board of Directors. Brassell dedication to service and leadership in the community lead to his recent induction into the All Sports Association Hall of Fame (2020). 

Named founding Executive Director of the Wuerffel Trophy, “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service” in 2012, Brassell helped steward the award to achieve national status as a partner with the National Football Foundation, invited as a member in the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), and is a part of the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

Brassell lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida with his wife of 34 years, Betty, and enjoys rounds of golf with his two adult sons, Tommy and Jonathan, and playing with his grandson, Sam.

 
 
 
 
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