Jonathan Up for Witten Man of the Year Award
11/17/2020 2:18:00 PM | Football
A leader on and off the field, senior defensive lineman Kingsley Jonathan has been named a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.
Jonathan, who originally hails from Lagos, Nigeria, is heavily active in a number of initiatives to better his fellow student-athletes and the Syracuse community. One-of-20 semifinalists, the award is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership both on and off the field.
Jonathan has been an advocate for his fellow student-athletes with the NCAA as part of the NCAA Division I Autonomy process. He's 1-of-15 Division I athletes with voting power in NCAA rule changes. He's just the fourth ACC football student-athlete in the history of this process to represent all athletes. He also is part of the ACC Search Advisory Committee, where he's one-of-five student-athletes on the advisory board in the search process for the next commissioner. He is also a member of the Syracuse Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Jonathan has also served on the newly founded Diversity and Inclusion Student-Athlete Board, which strives to be a force for change that inspires and provides a forum for student-athletes to speak up for what they believe and how they feel. DISAB fosters better communication between student-athletes, their teammates, the athletic administration, and Syracuse University as a whole.
He's also helped make an impact in the Central New York community. He was the founder of the Syracuse SAAC Hoodie Drive, he helped organize a drive to provide hooded sweatshirts for homeless members of the Syracuse community during the winter months. Jonathan coordinates with his fellow SAAC members to place collection boxes for hoodies in each team's locker room. Additionally, he made an appearance at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital, Central New York's only Level 1 trauma and burn center. While there, Jonathan participated in in the hospital's monthly syringe-painting program. Patients take turns spraying student-athletes with paint from syringes to make custom canvas paintings.
In the classroom, Jonathan has maintained over a 3.7 GPA, while using his studies in information management and technology to also work in the University's IT services department. Jonathan is also a Campbell Trophy semifinalist and a Wuerffel Trophy nominee.
Â
Jonathan, who originally hails from Lagos, Nigeria, is heavily active in a number of initiatives to better his fellow student-athletes and the Syracuse community. One-of-20 semifinalists, the award is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership both on and off the field.
Jonathan has been an advocate for his fellow student-athletes with the NCAA as part of the NCAA Division I Autonomy process. He's 1-of-15 Division I athletes with voting power in NCAA rule changes. He's just the fourth ACC football student-athlete in the history of this process to represent all athletes. He also is part of the ACC Search Advisory Committee, where he's one-of-five student-athletes on the advisory board in the search process for the next commissioner. He is also a member of the Syracuse Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Jonathan has also served on the newly founded Diversity and Inclusion Student-Athlete Board, which strives to be a force for change that inspires and provides a forum for student-athletes to speak up for what they believe and how they feel. DISAB fosters better communication between student-athletes, their teammates, the athletic administration, and Syracuse University as a whole.
He's also helped make an impact in the Central New York community. He was the founder of the Syracuse SAAC Hoodie Drive, he helped organize a drive to provide hooded sweatshirts for homeless members of the Syracuse community during the winter months. Jonathan coordinates with his fellow SAAC members to place collection boxes for hoodies in each team's locker room. Additionally, he made an appearance at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital, Central New York's only Level 1 trauma and burn center. While there, Jonathan participated in in the hospital's monthly syringe-painting program. Patients take turns spraying student-athletes with paint from syringes to make custom canvas paintings.
In the classroom, Jonathan has maintained over a 3.7 GPA, while using his studies in information management and technology to also work in the University's IT services department. Jonathan is also a Campbell Trophy semifinalist and a Wuerffel Trophy nominee.
Â
Players Mentioned
DL
/ FootballFran Brown Press Conference | Clemson Week
Monday, September 15
Fran Brown Press Conference
Monday, September 15
Players Press Conference vs. Colgate
Friday, September 12
Syracuse Football Postgame Press Conference
Friday, September 12
