Smith-Williams Named Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award Semifinalist
11/13/2019 11:03:00 AM | Football
DALLAS, Texas – Graduate defensive end James Smith-Williams has been named a semifinalist for the third annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, as announced by the selection committee on Wednesday. The award honors exemplary leadership by a collegiate player.
Smith-Williams' on and off the field efforts throughout his time with the program were rewarded this season as he was awarded NC State's No. 1 jersey, an honor that is given to a player each season for his work ethic, character, leadership and accomplishments.
An Academic All-ACC Performer, Smith-Williams' professional development has been as impressive, as the graduate student has worked two paid summer internships with IBM and was offered (and accepted) a job at IBM for whenever his football career is completed. Smith-Williams has also been named to the Allstate AFCA GoodWorks Team and the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. Those awards were deservedly earned due to the Raleigh native's involvement with the following organizations: Read Across America, Habitat for Humanity (Wake County), voter awareness at NC State, the creation of a mentor program at Westbrook Middle School, Creech Road Elementary School's and Avent Ferry Methodist Church's after-school programs, Be the Match, and #SetTheExpectation.
His involvement with #SetTheExpectation has been arguably the most visible of the impact he has had on the local community. Moved by Brenda Tracy's speech in April about interpersonal violence, Smith-Williams felt called to action and organized a donation drive at an NC State baseball game that collected over two car loads of necessities for InterAct of Wake County, a local domestic violence shelter.
Since then, he has become an ambassador for the campaign, which calls for action against interpersonal violence. His involvement has grown, as Smith-Williams was a catalyst in NC State hosting the first #STE game in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Sept. 21 against Ball State. Prior to the game, Smith-Williams and Tracy collaborated to spread the cause's reach to the entire NC State campus, including speaking with students about being part of the solution, signing pledges and raising awareness at a football game in front of a crowd of almost 60,000 people.
The winner of the award will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund.
Smith-Williams' on and off the field efforts throughout his time with the program were rewarded this season as he was awarded NC State's No. 1 jersey, an honor that is given to a player each season for his work ethic, character, leadership and accomplishments.
An Academic All-ACC Performer, Smith-Williams' professional development has been as impressive, as the graduate student has worked two paid summer internships with IBM and was offered (and accepted) a job at IBM for whenever his football career is completed. Smith-Williams has also been named to the Allstate AFCA GoodWorks Team and the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. Those awards were deservedly earned due to the Raleigh native's involvement with the following organizations: Read Across America, Habitat for Humanity (Wake County), voter awareness at NC State, the creation of a mentor program at Westbrook Middle School, Creech Road Elementary School's and Avent Ferry Methodist Church's after-school programs, Be the Match, and #SetTheExpectation.
His involvement with #SetTheExpectation has been arguably the most visible of the impact he has had on the local community. Moved by Brenda Tracy's speech in April about interpersonal violence, Smith-Williams felt called to action and organized a donation drive at an NC State baseball game that collected over two car loads of necessities for InterAct of Wake County, a local domestic violence shelter.
Since then, he has become an ambassador for the campaign, which calls for action against interpersonal violence. His involvement has grown, as Smith-Williams was a catalyst in NC State hosting the first #STE game in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Sept. 21 against Ball State. Prior to the game, Smith-Williams and Tracy collaborated to spread the cause's reach to the entire NC State campus, including speaking with students about being part of the solution, signing pledges and raising awareness at a football game in front of a crowd of almost 60,000 people.
The winner of the award will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund.
Players Mentioned
DE
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