NORTHBROOK, IL – Johns Hopkins University rising junior wide receiver Dawson Aichholz is among 137 college football players nationwide who have been nominated for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® it was recently announced.
Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® continues to be one of the most coveted community service awards in college football. From the 137 nominees, the final roster of 23 award recipients will be announced in September, bringing together 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision; 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); and one honorary head coach. To be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.
Aichholz, who is majoring in international studies and carries a 3.46 cumulative GPA, recently spent 10 days in Israel as part of Johns Hopkins' Building Bridges Program. In addition, he is currently interning with Ohio Senator Rob Portman while also assisting with Passion City DC.
At Johns Hopkins, Aichholz has served as a Bible study leader since his freshman year through Campus Crusade and has been a member of the Intervarsity Apprenticeship Program as well. As a Bible study leader, he has led weekly studies for groups of 10 or more students, while the Intervarsity Apprenticeship Program is a campus ministry equipping program.
Aichholz has been instrumental in developing the Johns Hopkins football team chapel on Fridays before each game. This is a voluntary team chapel that allows Aichholz to combine his passions for his faith and football.
A member of Johns Hopkins' deep and talented group of returning wide receivers in 2019, Aichholz played in all 14 games last season and helped Johns Hopkins to a 12-2 record, a 10th consecutive Centennial Conference title and the program's first trip to the NCAA Semifinals. He had nine receptions for 166 yards and his 18.4 yards per reception ranked fourth on the team and is the highest among all returning Blue Jay receivers entering the 2019 season. In his career, he has 13 receptions for 276 yards (21.2 ypr.) and one touchdown.
In addition to his efforts on offense, Aichholz has also been a key member of the Blue Jay special teams. His four tackles on punt returns were tied for the team-lead last season; Johns Hopkins allowed just 5.3 yards per punt return in 2018.
Since its inception, Johns Hopkins has placed three players on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team: Jim Sanders (2005), Brian Nickel (2006) and Tim Miller (2009).