The Draddy Award is known as the "Academic Heisman" and was awarded in New York last night to Texas Center Dallas Griffin. Griffin is the first Longhorn to win the award, which recognizes an individual as the best in the country for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.
"We are so proud of Dallas and everything he's accomplished," said head coach Mack Brown. "Winning the Draddy Trophy - the Academic Heisman - is the perfect tribute to a guy who has meant so much to our program and is such a great representative of college football. Dallas is the ideal role model for young student-athletes across the country. He's been a leader on the field and in the classroom for five years and is a great young man who has an unbelievably bright future."
During his career at Texas, Griffin has been a four-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection, has posted a perfect 4.0 GPA six times and graduated with 3.88 GPA with a double major in business honors and finance in the spring of 2007. This fall, he began his coursework in UT's prestigious Red McCombs MBA Program.
From a guy who earned degrees in both the undergraduate and graduate business programs at Texas, those are impressive numbers without ever even practicing on the football team. Add the fact that Dallas played in 32 games before his season ended this year due to a knee injury, and that is outstanding. It is truly what college sports is supposed to be about.
Congrats to Dallas and the Texas football community for a great award.