Saltes Named Finalist for Wuerffel Trophy
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Teton Saltes has been named as one of three finalists for the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy announced. Saltes was a semifinalist last year, and he becomes UNM’s second finalist in the last four years, joining Garrett Adcock, who was a finalist in 2016.
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually to the Football Bowl Subdivision player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world. The award has honored over 1,300 nominees since its inception in 2005.
“Each year, it’s such a challenging task to narrow our group of semifinalists down to three, and this year was no exception,” said Danny Wuerffel. “However, these young men have really done some amazing things serving others in their hometowns, in their college communities, and around the world. We are excited to announce them as our 2020 Wuerffel Trophy finalists.”
Along with Saltes, the other two finalists are a pair of quarterbacks; Shai Werts of Georgia Southern University and Sam Ehlinger of the University of Texas.
Voting for the Wuerffel Trophy is performed by a national selection committee that includes college football television and print media, industry notables, former head coaches and prior Wuerffel Trophy recipients.
Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy were made by the respective universities’ Sports Information Departments and closed on November 2. Semifinalists were named on December 8.
The formal announcement of the 2020 recipient is anticipated to be made the week of December 26 – January 2. The 2020 recipient will be featured on The Home Depot/ESPN College Football Awards Show on January 7, 2021 airing at 7:00pm EST.
The honor is the second major honor in the past week for Saltes, who was selected as the team captain for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team last Wednesday. Saltes did a round of national interviews, teaming up with Tim Tebow to help bring awareness to the different causes that Saltes works with, from suicide prevention to advocating for the nation’s youth through the Save The Children Action Network.
Saltes was honored over the summer as a Lobo Hero for his work on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, working with his native Oglala Lakota tribe to distribute needed supplies to those on his home reservation, which was hit particularly hard. Saltes also has worked in and is passionate about suicide prevention, about children’s reading, and he has served with the Save The Children Action Network as an advocate for children, speaking in Washington in 2019. He was UNM’s nominee for the All State AFCA Good Works Team, which hasn’t been announced. The depths of Saltes’ community service could fill up a web page, and it certainly has filled up his nomination form.
Salte has graduated with a degree in political science and Native American studies, and he will spend his senior season with UNM while enrolled in Law School. After suffering a season ending injury in 2017, he gave a live sideline interview with ESPN2’s Molly McGrath about his community service work and what he is hoping to accomplish, using football to further several causes. He stated back then as a freshman that he needed to go to law school because to affect change, you have to change the law, and that would be the best way to do it.
He continually gives back to his communities in New Mexico and South Dakota. In South Dakota, he works with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Sweetgrass Project which works in Suicide Awareness and Suicide Prevention. He is trained and has volunteered to work the Suicide Prevention Hotline as Peer Mentor and has goes to schools to speak on Suicide Awareness and Prevention on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and other Indian Reservations within South Dakota.
Saltes has also volunteered with Oglala Lakota Schools by speaking with school aged children on the struggles they face in life on the reservation and on bullying and how it effects as kids and tools to cope with bullying.
He is actively involved in his community through the BEAR Program (Be Excited About Reading). He also serves as a Peer Mentor and works with youth in the summer, on school breaks and through an online program in improving reading skills. In the BEAR Program children perform live theatrical skits with props and costumes to address bullying, suicide and home life issues. He works closely with suicide providers teaching life skills and providing support as I have completed ASSIST Training through the program. Through the BEAR Program we also conduct winter coats and clothing drives in which I support and assist from my college campus in New Mexico. Teton also helps support the community on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by collecting food for the Food Bank, operating out of our community center for families in need.
Saltes has also contributed in New Mexico, serving as the keynote speaker in Santa Fe, speaking about the importance of being involved in your community and completing your education. He serves as a student ambassador for the Save the Children Action network and in the spring, he was excused from a week of practice to attend lobbying activities in Washington D.C. to promote early education which involved working closely with our U.S. Congressional Reps in developing Policy.
He initiated meetings with “Save the Children Action Network” to promote working closely with many of the Native American Communities on the reservations throughout the United States. Saltes has been reviewing potential legislation and initiatives that would fit into the scope of “Save the Children” organization.
The formal presentation of the Wuerffel Trophy, normally made at the Annual All Sports Association’s Award Banquet in Fort Walton Beach each February, will be made at a time and place in 2021 to be determined due to the conditions created by CoVid-19.
Past recipients of the award are: Rudy Niswanger – LSU – 2005; Joel Penton – Ohio State – 2006; Paul Smith – Tulsa – 2007; Tim Tebow – Florida – 2008; Tim Hiller – Western Michigan – 2009; Sam Acho – Texas – 2010; Barrett Jones – Alabama – 2011; Matt Barkley – USC – 2012; Gabe Ikard – Oklahoma – 2013; Deterrian Shackelford – Ole Miss – 2014; Ty Darlington – Oklahoma – 2015; Trevor Knight – Texas A&M – 2016; Courtney Love – Kentucky; 2017; Drue Tranquill – Notre Dame; 2018; Jon Wassink – Western Michigan – 2019.
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.
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Contact: Tom Brassell, tombrassell@wuerffeltrophy.org, (850) 585-5512