Brandon Roberts

During the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame's 45th Annual Awards dinner, before a sold-out crowd at the Waldorf-Astoria, it was announced that Brandon Roberts of Washington U. was the 2002 HealthSouth Draddy Award winner. 

Often referred to as the "Academic Heisman," the award is given to the nation's top scholar-athlete and awards a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. Roberts is the first non-Division I player to receive the award. 

Roberts has earned high honors in working towards a degree in biomedical engineering while establishing himself as one of the nation's elite linebackers. A regular Dean's List selection, Roberts earned Verizon Academic All-America second-team honors in 2001 and is a three-time member of the UAA all-Academic team.

A Golden Key International Honor Society member, he has twice earned Verizon Academic All-District honors and has received the Ralph Bunche, Washington University Stanley C. Pace Engineering and Akron Urban League Scholarship Awards. 

A two-time first-team all-UAA selection, Roberts played an integral part of a defense that ranked in the top 20 nationally in each of the his first three seasons. Through six games in the 2002 season, he led the conference with 68 tackles ranking him 19th in the nation, before suffering a season-ending knee injury. With 338 career tackles and 12½ sacks, he ranks among the greatest defensive players ever to play for Washington University. 

College football playing student-athletes must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), have shown superior academic application and performance, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated outstanding leadership and citizenship to be eligible for The National Football Foundation's Scholar-Athlete Awards.