Alex Zmolik Named Nominee for Wuerffel Trophy

FORT WALTON BEACH, FL - Senior TE Alex Zmolik has been named a nominee for the 2015 Wuerffel Trophy. A record number 93 players from college's Football Bowl Subdivision are being considered for the award.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is presented annually by the All Sports Association. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy QB Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

One of four team captains for the nationally ranked Rockets, Zmolik is a leader in the community and an active member in his church. This past spring, Zmolik spent five days in Nicaragua on a missions trip, spreading the gospel and helping those in need. He worked on various projects, including helping to paint a church and giving the place of worship its first cement floor.

On the field, Zmolik has started all six games this fall and caught three passes for 35 yards. An extension of the offensive line, Zmolik and the Rockets currently lead the Mid-American Conference in rushing offense (204.5 ypg) and rank second in total offense (446.2 ypg) and third in scoring offense (34.7 ppg).

A 2014 academic all-league honoree, Zmolik is one of seven representatives from the conference, joining Ball State C Jacob Richard, Bowling Green OL Christian Piazza, Eastern Michigan PK Dylan Mulder, Kent State DB Jordan Italiano, UMass QB Blake Frohnapfel and Western Michigan QB Zach Terrell.

Voting for the Wuerffel Trophy is performed by a National Selection Committee that includes college football television and print media, industry notables, former head coaches and prior Wuerffel Trophy recipients.

Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 3 and finalists announced on Nov. 24. The formal announcement of the 2015 Wuerffel Trophy recipient will be on Dec. 8 at the National Football Foundation's press conference in New York City.

Past winners of the Wuerffel Trophy are: 2014-Deterrian Shackelford, University of Mississippi; 2013-Gabe Ikard, University of Oklahoma; 2012-Matt Barkley, University of Southern California; 2011-Barrett Jones, University of Alabama; 2010-Sam Acho, University of Texas; 2009-Tim Hiller, Western Michigan University; 2008-Tim Tebow, University of Florida; 2007-Paul Smith, University of Tulsa; 2006-Joel Penton, The Ohio State University; and 2005-Rudy Niswanger, Louisiana State University.

The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 22 awards boast more than 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. For more information, go to NCFAA.org. For more information on the Wuerffel Trophy, visit wuerffeltrophy.org.

Zmolik and the Rockets return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 24 when they travel to UMass. The opening kick against the Minutemen is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Players Mentioned

Alex Zmolik

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