Auburn edge Derick Hall named semifinalist for Jason Witten Man of the Year Award
Auburn senior edge Derick Hall has racked up several accolades during his career. He now has a new one to possibly add to the shelf. Hall is a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.
On Wednesday, the annual award annouced 20 finalists. Hall is one of those nominees.
According to jasonwitten82.com, three finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The winner will be announced in Frisco, Texas, on Feb. 23, 2023.
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What is the Witten Award?
For those who aren’t familiar with Witten, he is a now retired NFL tight end who played from 2003-2020. He played his college ball at the University of Tennessee. Witten played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-2019, then the Las Vegas Raiders for one season in 2020.
In his career, Witten totaled 1,228 catches, 13,046 receiving yards, and 74 receiving touchdowns in 274 games. He is known as one of the best tight ends to ever play the game.
Going on its sixth year now, the Witten award is one that focuses on leadership rather than statistics or athletic ability. Here is how jasonwitten82.com explains the meaning of the award.
“The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football’s most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.”
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Why Derick Hall was nominated
Hall has been a starter at Auburn for three years including the current 2022 season. Hall has been the SEC defensive lineman of the year four different times.
The Witten Award gave a quick synopsis of why Hall is up for the award.
