Brian Leonard, the Draddy Trophy, and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano

NEW YORK, December 5, 2006 – Brian Leonard, the standout fullback from Rutgers, became the 17th recipient of the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, at The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s 49th Annual Awards Dinner in New York City tonight.

Known in many circles as the "Academic" Heisman, the Draddy Trophy continues to be one of college football's most sought after and competitive awards, recognizing an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. The award comes with a stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. A total of $320,000 was awarded to Leonard and the other 16Draddy Trophy Finalists, who each claimed $18,000 scholarships.

“We are proud to bestow this honor on Brian Leonard,” said NFF President Steven J. Hatchell. “He represents an unbelievable group. We had 148 nominees of the greatest candidates ever nominated. Brian joins an elite group of past recipients who serve the perfect role models for all young players to emulate.”

Highly regarded as one of the nation’s premier fullbacks, Brian Leonard has helped lead a renaissance with the Rutgers University football program. As the Scarlet Knights made their rise to national prominence, Leonard also remained a stellar role model off the field, collecting academic praise and playing a major role in the community. A Labor & Employment Relations major, Leonard has claimed Academic All-Conference honors three times and a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team in 2005.

Leonard twice earned First Team All-America honors by Pro Football Weekly. A two-time First Team All-Conference selection, Sports Illustrated recognized him as one of the “most underrated players,” contributing as a tenacious blocker and threat to run or catch the ball from the backfield. Leonard has rushed for 2,731yards and 1,862 receiving yards during his career. A 2006 team captain, he has been instrumental in teammate Ray Rice’s Heisman Trophy push.

Active in his community, Leonard has participated in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life walk and Read Across America. A volunteer in the opening ceremonies of the New Jersey Special Olympics, he has traveled to several local hospitals to visit with children and hand out gifts. Leonard also serves as a speaker for high school athletics events and football camps. He becomes Rutgers’ sixth National Scholar-Athlete and the first since Nathaniel Jones in 2003.

Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to credit a player for both academic and athletic accomplishments. The centerpiece to the NFF’s scholar-athlete program, which has awarded $8.3 million to 678 top athletes, the Draddy Trophy, first awarded in 1990, honors Manhattan College Quarterback and former NFF Chairman Vincent dePaul Draddy.

Candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Leonard edged out 16 other National Scholar-Athlete Award Winners, who all took home $18,000 scholarships.

In alphabetical order, the 2006 Draddy Finalists and National Scholar-Athlete Award Winners are:

· Brad Cook - Center, Saint Ambrose University (Iowa)
· Brian Daniels - Offensive Guard, University of Colorado
· Rhema Fuller - Defensive Tackle, University of Connecticut
· Jay Henry - Linebacker, West Virginia University
· Michael Klobucher - Linebacker, Ferris State University (Mich.)
· Christopher Leak - Quarterback, University of Florida
· Brian Leonard - Fullback, Rutgers University
· Aaron Lewis - Defensive Back, Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.)
· Ed McCarthy - Offensive Lineman, Yale University
· Ryan Meredith - Defensive End, Pittsburg State University (Kan.)
· Luke Palko - Wide Receiver, Saint Francis University (Pa.)
· Carl Pendleton - Defensive Tackle, University of Oklahoma
· Paul Posluszny - Linebacker, Penn State University
· Kristian Smith - Offensive Lineman, Alabama A&M University
· P.J. Theisen - Wide Receiver, University of Saint Thomas (Minn.)
· Joseph Thomas -Offensive Tackle, University of Wisconsin
· JohnWendling- Safety, University of Wyoming

Listed in chronological order, past Draddy winners, including two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, a Heisman winner are:

· Chris Howard (Air Force, 1990 – Leader in Higher Education)
· John B. Culpepper (Florida, 1991 - Lawyer)
· Jim Hansen (Colorado, 1992 – MIT Professor)
· Thomas Burns (Virginia, 1993 – Ph.D. Nuclear Engineer)
· Robert Zatechka (Nebraska, 1994 - Physician)
· Bobby Hoying (Ohio State, 1995 – Real Estate Developer)
· Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996 – Nonprofit Director)
· Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997 – NFL Player)
· Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1998 – NFL Player)
· Chad Pennington (Marshall, 1999 – NFL Player)
· Kyle Vanden Bosch (Nebraska, 2000 – NFL Player)
· Joaquin Gonzalez (Miami, 2001 – NFL Player)
· Brandon Roberts (Washington University-Mo., 2002 – Medical Student)
· Craig Krenzel (Ohio State, 2003 – NFL Player)
· Michael Munoz (Tennessee, 2004 – Nonprofit director and political candidate)
· Rudy Niswanger – (Louisiana State University, 2005 – Medical Student)

HealthSouth is one of the nation's largest providers of outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative healthcare services, operating facilities nationwide. HealthSouth can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com