SEC names Tennessee McWhorter Award Nominees

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (April 25, 2023) - Ashley Rogers of the Tennessee softball team and Paxton Brooks the Volunteers' football team have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship by the University of Tennessee.

The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league's top male and female scholar-athletes.

The Southeastern Conference will name the 2023 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on May 2.

Highlights of Tennessee's nominees include:

ATHLETE	SPORT	MAJOR
Ashley Rogers, Tennessee	Softball	Kinesiology
Graduated from Tennessee in May 2022 with undergraduate degree in Kinesiology Pursuing a Master's in Kinesiology with a Biomechanics concentration CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team member, 2021, 2022 Two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 First Team Four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Three-time Easton/NFCA Scholar-Athlete, 2019, 2021, 2022 NFCA All-America Second Team, 2021 All-SEC First Team, 2019, 2021 SEC All-Tournament Team, 2022 Two-time NFCA All-Southeast Region First Team honoree, 2021, 2019 Schutt Sports/NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 10 List, 2019 USA Softball National Player of the Year Watchlist, 2023, 2022 Ranks top five in Tennessee history in wins (71), ERA (1.54), shutouts (23), winning percentage (.779) and strikeouts (755)

ATHLETE	SPORT	MAJOR
Paxton Brooks, Tennessee	Football	Kinesiology
Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in May 2021, posting a 3.92 cumulative GPA Two-time CSC Academic All-American, earning first-team laurels in 2021 and second-team accolades in 2022 The first Tennessee football student-athlete to earn CSC (formerly CoSIDA) All-America honors in back-to-back seasons since Peyton Manning from 1996-97 Three-time CSC Academic All-District selection Four-time Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient Selected as a semifinalist for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to the top scholar athlete in college football  Member of the prestigious 2020-21 VOLeaders Academy and capped the year-long leadership program with a 12-day cultural exchange trip to Belize Dean's List every single semester at Tennessee Earned a Master of Science degree in kinesiology in December 2022 Member of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society Served as Tennessee's starting punter for four straight seasons, averaging 42.33 yards per punt for his career, which ranked eighth in program history One of just five punters selected to attend the 2022 NFL Combine Also was the Volunteers' kickoff specialist, posting a 60.5-yard career average Was top 10 in the nation in kickoff average in 2020, posting a mark of 64.1 yards per attempt

The SEC provides the league's male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.

The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 14 SEC institutions and are announced in May, as well as honored by the league membership at SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla.

Last year's McWhorter Award recipients were Mississippi State football student-athlete Austin Williams and Lisa Gunnarsson of the LSU women's track & field team.