FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — On Tuesday, the Wuerffel Trophy named Tennessee senior defensive back Todd Kelly Jr. as one of a record 109 players on its 2017 preseason watch list from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually by the All Sports Association in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. 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.
In May, Kelly was named to the watch list for the 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy. He was also named as a nominee for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® on July 10. As a Knoxville native, Kelly takes a lot of pride in serving the local community. His community service activities have centered on helping children. From cheering on patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to mentoring local fourth-graders at Lonsdale Elementary to serving others via the Emerald Youth Foundation and Read Across America, Kelly is committed to inspiring local youth. He is a member of the 100 Black Men of Knoxville, which serves as a catalyst to empower minority youth to reach their full potential. He has also served as a speaker at local churches and elementary schools.
Prior to the 2016 season, Kelly changed his jersey number from No. 6 to No. 24 in honor of the late Zaevion Dobson. Dobson was a local high school football star who died heroically shielding his friends from gunfire in December of 2015. Kelly is close with the Dobson family and also took part in Zaveion Dobson Day of Service and Project Elevate’s Hero Day on Jan. 24, 2016, which promoted serving others and acts of kindness.
In addition to Kelly’s work in the community, he is also a standout in the classroom. Kelly is majoring Biological Science with a concentration in Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology. He earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 honors in 2016. Kelly was named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2015 and 2016 and he was also named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll for the 2014-15 school year.
On the field, he is coming off the best year of his career. As a junior in 2016, he posted a team-high 71 tackles (49 solo) in 12 games at safety. He also had one sack, 2.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble and four passes defended. Kelly’s eight career interceptions are the most among all players on the current roster.
Nine players return to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List from 2016. They are: Blaise Taylor (Arkansas St.), Daniel Carlson (Auburn), Zack Golditch (Colo. St.), Alec Eberle (Fla. St.), Jeb Blazevich (Georgia), KeShun Freeman (Georgia Tech), Ryan Yurachek (Marshall), Drue Tranquill (Notre Dame) and Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma St.).
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.
-UT Athletics
