FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. - The Wuerffel Trophy, presented by Chick-fil-A Foundation® announced its Watch List Thursday of 91 players from college football's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Among those recognized are Georgia Southern senior linebacker Rashad Byrd.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Byrd, from North Augusta, South Carolina, is one of the most active players in the community on the Eagle squad that led the FBS in community service team hours. Among the many projects he was worked on include: assisting at an alternative school in Statesboro to help kids cope with stress; serving as an AIA leader; reading to kids in local elementary schools; speaking for FCA at William James; raise money for breast cancer; starting a fund for a child that was born in their second trimester; going on mission trips to Cuba, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua to share the gospel and provide clean drinking water; volunteering at University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia; "Helping Hands" making sandwiches for the homeless in Augusta; "Buddy Baseball" playing baseball with special needs kids; and working at 7 Mile Ranch work with underserved youth of Bulloch County.

Byrd played in 10 games last year at linebacker and tallied 54 tackles, including 5.0 for loss. He had an interception, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal en route to honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors. The health education and promotions major made the Honor Roll in the spring for posting above a 3.0 GPA and is on track to graduate in May.

All FBS Conferences are represented on the list, as were Independent representative Notre Dame and BYU (Army) with one nominee each.

2019 WUERFFEL TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY BY UNIVERSITY)
Isaiah Sanders, Air Force, Senior, QB
Chris Owens, Alabama, Junior, OL
Darrynton Evans, App State, Junior, RB
Malcolm Holland, Arizona, Senior, DB
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State, Junior, RB
Kyle Williams, Arizona State, Senior, WR
T.J. Smith, Arkansas, Senior, DL
Tajhea Chambers, Arkansas State, Junior, LB
Derrick Brown, Auburn, Senior, DL
Kole Bailey, Boise State, Junior, OL
Gabe Skrobot, Bowling Green, Junior, LS
Matt Otwinowski, Buffalo, Senior, LB
Uriah Leiataua, BYU, Junior, DL
Michael Saffell, Cal, Junior, OL
Tyriq Harris, Charlotte, Senior, DL
Sean Pollard, Clemson, Senior, OL
Silas Kelly, Coastal Carolina, Junior, LB
Adam Prentice, Colorado State, Junior, RB
Koby Quansah, Duke, Senior, LB
Brody Hoying, Eastern Michigan, Senior, DB
James Morgan, FIU, Senior, QB
Tyrie Cleveland, Florida, Senior, WR
DeCalon Brooks, Florida State, Sophomore, LB
Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia, Senior, K
Rashad Byrd, Georgia Southern, Senior, LB
Jahaziel Lee, Georgia Tech, Senior, DL
Kiamana Padello, Hawai'i, Senior, DL
Bobby Walker, Illinois, Senior, TE
Nick Westbrook, Indiana, Senior, WR
Ray Lima, Iowa State, Senior, DL
Denzel Goolsby, Kansas State, Senior, DB
Matt Bahr, Kent State, Senior, LB
Landon Young, Kentucky, Junior, OL
Deuce Wallace, Louisiana, Senior, BD
Blake Ferguson, LSU, Senior, LS
Brenden Knox, Marshall, Sophomore, RB
Noah Barnes, Maryland, Junior, TE
Brady White, Memphis, Junior, QB
Zach McCloud, Miami, Senior, LB
Jack Sorenson, Miami (Ohio), Junior, WR
Cole Chewins, Michigan State, Senior, OL
Khalil Brooks, Middle Tennessee, Senior, LB
Winston DeLattiboudere, Minnesota, Senior, DL
Kobe Jones, Mississippi State, Junior, DL
Khalil Oliver, Missouri, Senior, DB
James Smith-Williams, N.C. State, Senior, DL
Ben Stille, Nebraska, Junior, DL
Lucas Weber, Nevada, Senior, LB
Teton Saites, New Mexico, Junior, OL
Josh Adkins, New Mexico State, Sophomore, QB
Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame, Senior, DB
Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma, Junior, LB
Mufu Tiawo, Old Dominion, Senior, DL
Mac Brown, Ole Miss, Junior, P
Justin Herbert, Oregon, Senior, QB
Dallas Warmack, Oregon, Senior, OL
Andrzej Hughes-Murray, Oregon State, Senior, LB
Tre Tipton, Pittsburgh, Senior, WR
Nick Leverett, Rice, Senior, OL
Parker Houston, San Diego State, Senior, TE
Josh Love, San Jose State, Senior, QB
Tyler Page, SMU, Junior, WR
Brian Ankerson, South Alabama, Junior, OL
Spencer Eason-Riddle, South Carolina, Junior, LB
Treyjohn Butler, Stanford, Senior, DB
Andrew Armstrong, Syracuse, Senior, LB
Kellton Hollins, TCU, Junior, OL
Matt Hennessy, Temple, Junior, OL
Ryan Johnson, Tennessee, Junior, OL
Trey Smith, Tennessee, Junior, OL
Sam Ehlinger, Texas, Junior, QB
Hunter "Hutch" White, Texas State, Senor, WR/ST
Travis Bruffy, Texas Tech, Senior, OL
Bryce Harris, Toledo, Senior, OL
B.J. Smith, Troy, Senior, RB
Jordan Johnson, UCF, Senior, OL
Darren Woods, Jr., UNLV, Senior, WR
Michael Pittman, USC, Senior, WR
Britain Covey, Utah, Junior, WR
Dominik Eberle, Utah State, Senior, K
Derron Gatewood, UTEP, Senior, OL
Andrew Martel, UTSA, Senior, LB
Andre Mintze, Vanderbilt, Junior, LB
Bryce Hall, Virginia, Senior, DB
Cade Carney, Wake Forest, Senior, RB
Nick Harris, Washington, Senior, OL
Frederick Mauigoa, Washington State, Senior, OL
Evan Staley, West Virginia, Junior, K
Tyler Witt, Western Kentucky, Junior, OL
Jon Wassink, Western Michigan, Senior, QB
Chris Orr, Wisconsin, Senior, LB

Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 5 and finalists will be announced on Nov. 18. The formal announcement of the 2019 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation's festivities in New York City on Dec. 10. The presentation of the 2019 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 51st All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Feb. 14, 2020 in Fort Walton Beach. 

Past winners of the award are:  Rudy Niswanger - LSU - 2005; Joel Penton - Ohio State - 2006; Paul Smith - Tulsa - 2008; 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.

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. 

With numerous Georgia Southern University alumni serving in various positions within the bank and on the Board of Directors, the 2019 Georgia Southern Football Season is presented by Morris Bank. Morris Bank and Georgia Southern have a shared focus on impactfully growing Middle and South Georgia educationally and economically. The five-year commitment is a significant financial investment that is a testament to Morris' purposeful vision for community involvement.