11/4/2020 10:00:00 AM | Football
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The Ohio Valley Conference has selected six individuals to receive its prestigious Scholar-Athlete Award for 2020-21 and Jacksonville State Football's Zack Woodard is one of them.
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The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes and is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.
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The six winners were selected from a group of 18 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2019-20 school year.
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Woodard is the ninth Gamecock to earn the prestigious honor and the first since Justin Lea of the football team in 2017-18. He is the fourth Gamecock football player to receive the award.
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The 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete winners are: Woodard, Olivia Lohmeier of Morehead State (volleyball), Jaime Marcos of Eastern Illinois (cross country/track & field), Joe Muschong of Morehead State (golf), Fabienne Schmidt of Austin Peay (tennis), Ali Verzani of Tennessee Tech (volleyball).
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Woodard is a starting linebacker for the Jacksonville State football team. Last year he earned second-team All-OVC honors after recording the fourth-most tackles in the OVC (96) and adding seven tackles for loss, an interception, recovering a fumble and defending five passes. Through four fall games for JSU in 2020, Woodard has 15 tackles, including two for a loss, in guiding the Gamecocks to a 3-1 start to the season. In the classroom he has a 3.87 grade point average in accounting.
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He has been named to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team, the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll, the JSU President's List and Dean's List. He is a member of the JSU Accounting Club, a member of the Beta Alpha Psi honor society and had an internship with SaveFirst Impact America. He has served as a children's mentor, the AOII Gamecock Give Back-Pack initiative and assisted with the JSU tornado recovery cleanup.
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Jacksonville State Student-Athletes to win the OVC Scholar-Athlete Award:
2003-04 – Jennifer Brenneman, Volleyball
2005-06 – Shanelle Howell, Women's Golf
2008-09 – Lesley Binning, Track and Field
2009-10 – Josh Cain, Football
2010-11 – Chelsea Pelletier, Soccer
2011-12 – Lauren Harkins, Volleyball
2015-16 – Dalton Screws, Football
2017-18 – Justin Lea, Football
2020-21 – Zack Woodard, Football
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The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes and is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.
Â
The six winners were selected from a group of 18 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2019-20 school year.
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Woodard is the ninth Gamecock to earn the prestigious honor and the first since Justin Lea of the football team in 2017-18. He is the fourth Gamecock football player to receive the award.
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The 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete winners are: Woodard, Olivia Lohmeier of Morehead State (volleyball), Jaime Marcos of Eastern Illinois (cross country/track & field), Joe Muschong of Morehead State (golf), Fabienne Schmidt of Austin Peay (tennis), Ali Verzani of Tennessee Tech (volleyball).
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Woodard is a starting linebacker for the Jacksonville State football team. Last year he earned second-team All-OVC honors after recording the fourth-most tackles in the OVC (96) and adding seven tackles for loss, an interception, recovering a fumble and defending five passes. Through four fall games for JSU in 2020, Woodard has 15 tackles, including two for a loss, in guiding the Gamecocks to a 3-1 start to the season. In the classroom he has a 3.87 grade point average in accounting.
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He has been named to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team, the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll, the JSU President's List and Dean's List. He is a member of the JSU Accounting Club, a member of the Beta Alpha Psi honor society and had an internship with SaveFirst Impact America. He has served as a children's mentor, the AOII Gamecock Give Back-Pack initiative and assisted with the JSU tornado recovery cleanup.
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Jacksonville State Student-Athletes to win the OVC Scholar-Athlete Award:
2003-04 – Jennifer Brenneman, Volleyball
2005-06 – Shanelle Howell, Women's Golf
2008-09 – Lesley Binning, Track and Field
2009-10 – Josh Cain, Football
2010-11 – Chelsea Pelletier, Soccer
2011-12 – Lauren Harkins, Volleyball
2015-16 – Dalton Screws, Football
2017-18 – Justin Lea, Football
2020-21 – Zack Woodard, Football
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Players Mentioned
Tuesday, November 10
Sunday, November 08
Tuesday, November 03
Friday, October 23
