Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Nick Mozal Selected as Semifinalist for Draddy Trophy
10/11/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 11, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior tight end Nick Mozal (Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area) has been selected by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame as one of 153 semifinalists across all divisions of college football for the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, which is often referred to as the "Academic Heisman."
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent dePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who founded the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.
Mozal has played in every game this season, primarily as the team's No. 1 tight end, and he has also played some at offensive tackle. Primarily used as a run-blocker in Bucknell's ground-oriented spread-option offense, Mozal is expected to earn his third varsity letter this year. He has played in all but one game since the start of his sophomore year and has three career catches to his credit.
Off the field, Mozal's cumulative grade-point average of 3.77 is one of the highest on the team. A political science and economics double major, he has made the Bucknell Dean's List (3.5 or better) in every semester, and he is on track to graduate in 3 ½ years.
In the summer of 2007, Mozal completed an internship in Washington, D.C., with the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. There he attended classes on Capitol Hill designed for congressional staffers, maintained a congressional staff database, researched future projects and trained in market-based management by the Koch Foundation.
The previous summer, Mozal interned with in the district attorney's office in Luzerne County, Pa. He assisted attorneys in their research and discovery and attended court daily. He also worked with county detectives on a number of cases, assisting with the collection of evidence.
In each of the last two years, Mozal has been awarded the Ronald Reagan College Leaders scholarship, given to those "who demonstrate leadership on behalf of the cause of freedom, American values and constitutional principles." He is currently the president of the Bucknell Conservatives Club, which has raised money for the Semper Fi Fund for injured Marines and the Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition shelter.
Last December, Mozal traveled to New Orleans with the Bucknell chapter of Habitat for Humanity, helping with cleanup and rebuilding efforts in St. Bernard's Parish in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He hopes to go back to the region following graduation, prior to starting law school in 2008.
Mozal is one of 40 semifinalists from the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and one of only two from the Patriot League, joining Georgetown's Kyle Van Fleet.
Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to credit a player for both academic and athletic accomplishments. The Draddy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique. Past Draddy winners, including two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, a Heisman winner and a 3.7 average GPA, are: Chris Howard (Air Force, 1990); John B. Culpepper (Florida, 1991); Jim Hansen (Colorado, 1992); Thomas Burns (Virginia, 1993); Robert Zatechka (Nebraska, 1994); Bobby Hoying (Ohio State, 1995); Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996); Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997); Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1998); Chad Pennington (Marshall, 1999); Kyle Vanden Bosch (Nebraska, 2000); Joaquin Gonzalez (Miami, 2001); Brandon Roberts (Washington University-Mo., 2002); Craig Krenzel (Ohio State, 2003); Michael Munoz (Tennessee, 2004); Rudy Niswanger (Louisiana State, 2005); and Brian Leonard (Rutgers, 2006).
The Bucknell football squad is 2-4 on the season. Following a bye week, the Bison take on Georgetown on Oct. 20 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
