North Carolina State University Athletics
Isaiah Shirley Recognized on the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List
9/10/2026 3:57:00 PM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. – The watch list for the tenth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year includes NC State Football defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley for the second consecutive year for his leadership on and off the field.
Shirley is one of 89 college football players nominated by their schools; the members of the watch list have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity, and sportsmanship.
Shirley, who is an active member of the community, has spoken to numerous high schools, sharing his testimony and offering advice based on his beliefs. Involved with Uplifting Athletes, which is an organization that uses sport to build a community that invests in the lives of people impacted by rare diseases.
Shirley has already seen his name on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and AFCA Good Works Team, as well as being a top four finalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award.
Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tues., October 13. Three finalists will then be named for the award on Monday, December 14. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony, which will take place in spring 2027.
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.
It is an incredible honor to announce this group of young men as the watch list for the Collegiate Man of the Year, said Witten. These student-athletes have all demonstrated exceptional leadership, often in the face of adversity, and are perfect examples of what the sport of college football is all about.
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 19 years. The foundation operates its nationally recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.
