Bauman Named to Prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class

DALLAS -- Senior linebacker Matt Bauman was recognized by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) as they announced the 2009 National Scholar-Athlete class on Thursday. The 16 members of the class will each receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship and vie as finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, formally known as the Draddy Trophy.

Student-athletes were selected as the best and the brightest from the college gridiron, from a nationwide pool of 154 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA.

“It’s an honor to receive this prestigious recognition,” said Bauman. “I’m happy to be able to represent BYU and its values. I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”

A team captain and a two-year starter at linebacker, Bauman is BYU's fourth NFF National Scholar-Athlete and its first since 2000. Other Cougars who received the honor were Stephen Miller (1976), Steve Young (1983) and Jared Lee (2000).

“Matt is an outstanding student-athlete,” said BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall. “He’s a proven leader on the team, not only on the field but also academically. This honor is well deserved.”

A 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, Bauman's 3.91 GPA has landed him on the Dean's List multiple times. Named three times to the Academic All-MWC team, Bauman is a recipient of the Chad Lewis Flag Bearer Award for Integrity and has registered a perfect 4.0 three semesters.

Bauman started the final four games as a freshman and registered 30 tackles before taking a two-year hiatus to serve an LDS mission. Bauman returned in 2007 and saw action in all 13 games that season, including a game against Wyoming when he posted a season-high seven tackles. During his junior year, he led the team in tackles with 108, including 50 solo takedowns. He started all 13 games and posted a career-high 13 tackles against UNLV. To date, Bauman has recorded 205 career tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss, including 5.5 sacks.

In addition to his mission to Harrisburg, Pa., Bauman's community service record includes coaching a group of special needs children and visiting the local juvenile detention center to speak to troubled youth. An Eagle Scout from Salt Lake City, he also participated in a Valentine’s dance at a local nursing home and speaks several times a month at youth meetings.

The NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes post-graduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. This year's class members finds themselves in good company, as former National Scholar-Athletes include NFL Standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA), Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Danny Wuerffel (Florida).

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Selected by the NFF Awards Committee, the 16 national Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will be honored at the 2009 NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 8 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The event will also include the induction of the 2009 College Football Hall of Fame class, which includes former BYU tight end Gordon Hudson, and the presentation of several major awards.

Renamed this fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.

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SCHOLAR-ATHLETE      POSITION    SCHOOL                                GPA
JON ASAMOAH          OG          University of Illinois                3.82
MATT BAUMAN          LB          Brigham Young University              3.91
ERIC DECKER          WR          University of Minnesota               3.42
MOSES HARRIS         S           Fresno State                          3.56
TIM HILLER           QB          Western Michigan University           4.00
PAUL JASINOWSKI      OT          Brown University                      3.70
BEAU KILDOW          WR          Morningside College (Iowa)            4.00
JOSH MAHONEY         LB          University of Northern Iowa           4.00
COLT McCOY           QB          University of Texas                   3.33
JARRELL NeSMITH      TE          Tusculum College (Tenn.)              3.84
JOE PAWELEK          LB          Baylor University                     3.71
TODD REESING         QB          University of Kansas                  3.64
ZaVIOUS ROBBINS      WR          Hardin-Simmons University (Texas)     3.90
TIM TEBOW            QB          University of Florida                 3.66
BLAINE WESTEMEYER    OT          Augustana College (Ill.)              3.93
REED WILLIAMS        LB          West Virginia University              3.86
2009 NFF NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
CLASS NOTES
- 3.77 Average GPA, including three class members with a perfect 4.00 GPA
- 16-of-16 Team Captains
- 14-of-16 Academic All-Conference Athletes
- 14-of-16 All-Conference Athletes
- Seven ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Selections (Bauman, Mahoney, NeSmith, Pawelek, Tebow, Westemeyer, Williams)
- Six All-America Picks (Kildow, McCoy, NeSmith, Pawelek, Tebow, Westemeyer)
- One Heisman Trophy Winner (Tebow)
- Five National Major Awards Won (McCoy, Tebow)
- Three Bowl Game MVPs (McCoy -- Alamo, Holiday and Tostitos Fiesta, Tebow -- FedEx BCS National Championship, Williams -- Tostitos Fiesta)
- Five Members of Nationally Ranked Teams (Kildow, Mahoney, McCoy, Tebow, Williams)
- Eight Members of Conference Championship Teams (Bauman, Jasinowski, Kildow, Mahoney, NeSmith, Tebow, Westemeyer, Williams)
- Three Members of National Playoff Teams (Kildow, Mahoney, NeSmith)
- 11 Offensive Players (Asamoah, Decker, Hiller, Jasinowski, Kildow, McCoy, NeSmith, Reesing, Robbins, Tebow, Westemeyer)
- Five Defensive Players (Bauman, Harris, Mahoney, Pawelek, Williams)