Whitner Earns Spot on Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Syracuse senior linebacker Kielan Whitner was one of 106 FBS players named to the preseason watch list for the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy on Thursday, July 26. The Wuerffel Trophy is presented annually by the All Sports Association of Fort Walton Beach to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Whitner is the public relations director for the Syracuse University chapter of Uplifting Athletes, which is a nonprofit organization made up of a national network of chapters dedicated to inspiring the rare-disease community through the power of sport. In his role his as one of the group's leaders, Whitner helped organize last week's "Lift for Life," which raised more than $7,000 to benefit those with rare diseases.

In addition to his work with Uplifting Athletes, Whitner recently completed a mission trip to Haiti where he helped lead a group of volunteers in the construction of two orphanages and the distribution of free medical care in severely impoverished areas of the country. He is also a member of Central New York Chapter of The For a Day Foundation, which provides therapeutic experiences for sick children, and serves as Syracuse's player captain for Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams.

An accounting major in Syracuse's Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Whitner has been named to the ACC Honor Roll every year he has been on campus and he is a six-time member of the SU Athletic Director's Honor Roll (min. 3.0 GPA).

On the field, Whitner has played in 34 career games at safety and linebacker. He has 76 career tackles and four passes defended.

In addition to his inclusion on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Whitner is a nominee for this year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which honors college football players for their volunteerism and enriching the lives of others.

The Wuerffel Trophy is named in honor of former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel. It is the only major college football award that places the majority of its voting emphasis on community service. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 1, and the finalists will be announced on Nov. 19. The formal announcement of this year's winner will be made Dec. 4 at the National Football Foundation's press conference in New York City.

For more information about the Wuerffel Trophy, visit www.wuerffeltrophy.org.

Syracuse opens 2018 preseason camp on Aug. 2 and kicks off the campaign Friday, Aug. 31 at Western Michigan. The Orange's first home game is Saturday, Sept. 8 versus Wagner.

Season and individual game tickets for Orange football are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Season tickets start at $125.

Syracuse Players on 2018 NCFAA Watch Lists
Maxwell Award: Eric Dungey
Mackey Award: Ravian Pierce
Ray Guy Award: Sterling Hofrichter
Paul Hornung Award: Sean Riley
Wuerffel Trophy: Kielan Whitner

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Syracuse University Athletics

Whitner Earns Spot on Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Sterling Hofrichter

Ravian Pierce

Sean Riley

Kielan Whitner

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