Wuerffel Trophy names three finalists

The Wuerffel Trophy's philanthropic legacy will live on through one of Tuesday's announced Finalists.

After all, Florida State offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan and Stanford defensive back Patrick Fields are all worthy ambassadors for “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service.”

Presented each February locally at the All Sports Association Banquet, the Wuerffell Trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world.

That's exactly what Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who led Fort Walton Beach to a state title in 1991 and later Florida to a national title, has done every day of his adult life.

“It’s an incredibly challenging task for our selection committee to narrow our list of 109 FBS nominees to three Wuerffel Trophy finalists, and this year was no different,” said Wuerffel. “These three deserving student-athletes are remarkable leaders and are making a tremendous impact in their respective communities. Congratulations to Dillan, Tanner, and Patrick for being named 2022 Wuerffel Trophy finalists. I am thrilled that this year’s recipient will join me at the Heisman Ceremony and Gala in New York City.”

The Wuerffel Trophy recipient will be formally announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show, airing on ESPN on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. (EST). The recipient will attend the Heisman Trophy ceremonies, including the press conference, televised announcement and the Heisman Gala. The presentation of the 2022 Wuerffel Trophy will occur on February 24 at the 54th All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Okaloosa Island.

Past recipients of the award are LSU's Rudy Niswanger; Ohio State's Joel Penton; Tulsa's Paul Smith; Florida's Tim Tebow; Western Michigan's Tim Hiller; Texas' Sam Acho; Alabama's Barrett Jones; USC's Matt Barkley; OU's Gabe Ikard; Ole Miss' Deterrian Shackelford; OU's Ty Darlington; Texas A&M's Trevor Knight; Kentucky's Courtney Love; Notre Dame's Drue Tranquill; Western Michigan's Jon Wassink; New Mexico's Teton Saltes; and Stanford's Isaiah Sanders.

The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast more than 800 recipients, dating back to 1935. For more information on the NCFAA, visit NCFAA.org.

The Wuerffel Trophy is supported by its corporate partners Dart Container Corporation/Solo Cup and Herff Jones.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Wuerffel Trophy names Gibbons, Morgan and Fields as three finalists