FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas senior center Frank Ragnow is a semifinalist for the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.
According to the award's website, the award is presented to a college football player "who has demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field." Special consideration is given to team captains, starters, players in good academic standing and who participate in community service.
The award is the college equivalent to the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which Witten, a longtime tight end of the Dallas Cowboys, won in 2012.
Three finalists for the award will be announced Dec. 11 and the winner will be unveiled during a banquet Feb. 22, 2018, at the Cowboys' training facility in Frisco, Texas. The winner also will receive a $10,000 scholarship in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund.
Ragnow was considered one of the best centers in college football when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury Oct. 21 during a game against Auburn. He is a captain on this year's team and was nominated for the Football Writers Association of America Courage Award last year when he played every game following the death of his father the night of the fifth game of the season.
Other semifinalists for the first Witten Award are: Azeez Al-Shaair (Florida Atlantic), Braxton Berrios (Miami), David Blough (Purdue), Adam Breneman (UMass), Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama), Zaire Franklin (Syracuse), KeShun Freeman (Georgia Tech), Zack Golditch (Colorado State), Shaquem Griffin (Central Florida), Luke Jackson (Tulane), Shaq Jones (Alabama-Birmingham), Keith Kirkwood (Temple), Micah Kiser (Virginia), Derek McCartney (Colorado), Jake Olson (Southern Cal), Harrison Phillips (Stanford), Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State), Brandon Smith (Penn State) and Blaise Taylor (Arkansas State).