🏈 Pair of Jayhawks Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas seniors Api Mane and Chris Hughes were named to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, the organization announced on Thursday, as a record 114 players across the country were recognized on this year’s watch list.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The Award is named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel. The trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world.

This year marks the first year Mane and Hughes have made the Wuerffel trophy watch list. Mane and Hughes have both made an impact in the community, volunteering at community events and going beyond the playing field and classroom.

Mane, a senior from East Palo Alto, Calif., saw action on the offensive line in all 12 games in 2019, while starting in two games. Hughes, a senior offensive lineman from Harker Heights, Texas, made starts in eight games while making an appearance in all 12 games in 2019.

Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Departments and will close on October 15. A current list of nominees can be found at www.wuerffeltrophy.org beginning on August 1.

Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 3 and finalists will be announced on November 23. The formal announcement of the 2020 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation’s festivities in New York City on December 8. The presentation of the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 52nd All Sports Association Awards Banquet on February 19, 2021 in Fort Walton Beach.

The Wuerffel Trophy is presented by Chick-fil-A® and is also supported by its corporate partners Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones. The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast more than 800 recipients, dating back to 1935. Visit www.ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a two-week period this month. Sixteen of the association’s 25 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.