ATLANTA, GA -- Maryland football junior safety Dante Trader Jr. has been named a nominee for the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy, College Football's Premier Award for Community Service, and one of the most meaningful awards in collegiate sports.
Trader Jr., who has started in all six games he's played for the Terps this season at safety, recently led the One Speed Backpack Drive, supplying more than 200 fully-loaded backpacks for J.C. Nalle Elementary School in Washington, D.C. The Delmar, DE native worked with kl lll loo teammates and fellow podcast hosts safety Beau Brade and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II to raise more than $10,000 for the backpack drive, where they handed out backpacks, pizza and Maryland gear to students on August 26. Trader Jr. also has taken part in TBIAF community service events and mentored underprivileged youth in Salisbury MD during the offseason.
The junior has tallied 24 tackles (18 solo) and four pass breakups for the Terps this season, serving as one of Maryland's leaders on defense. He has started in the last 19 games he has played dating back to the beginning of last season.
The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Wuerffel Trophy embodies Danny's commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring a student-athlete who is inspired to serve others and make a positive impact on society.
Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 2nd, and finalists will be announced on November 28th. The formal announcement of the 2023 recipient is scheduled to be made on December 7th during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN, and the presentation of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy will take place February 17, 2024 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA.
Trader Jr., who has started in all six games he's played for the Terps this season at safety, recently led the One Speed Backpack Drive, supplying more than 200 fully-loaded backpacks for J.C. Nalle Elementary School in Washington, D.C. The Delmar, DE native worked with kl lll loo teammates and fellow podcast hosts safety Beau Brade and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II to raise more than $10,000 for the backpack drive, where they handed out backpacks, pizza and Maryland gear to students on August 26. Trader Jr. also has taken part in TBIAF community service events and mentored underprivileged youth in Salisbury MD during the offseason.
The junior has tallied 24 tackles (18 solo) and four pass breakups for the Terps this season, serving as one of Maryland's leaders on defense. He has started in the last 19 games he has played dating back to the beginning of last season.
The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Wuerffel Trophy embodies Danny's commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring a student-athlete who is inspired to serve others and make a positive impact on society.
Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 2nd, and finalists will be announced on November 28th. The formal announcement of the 2023 recipient is scheduled to be made on December 7th during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN, and the presentation of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy will take place February 17, 2024 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA.
