LEXINGTON, Ky. — University of Kentucky free safety Jeff Zurcher has been chosen as a National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame and will be awarded an $18,000 scholarship for continuing his post-graduate studies.
Zurcher was one of only 17 players chosen as National Scholar-Athletes. The players were chosen from all levels of collegiate football, based on their achievements in the classroom, on the playing field, and in the community.
Zurcher has been invited to attend the 41st annual awards dinner of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The dinner will be held on Dec. 8 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. “I’m thrilled, almost to the point of being numb,” Zurcher said of the award. “This is going to give me a tremendous opportunity to continue my education, maybe even go for a doctorate degree. This is a real blessing from the Lord, and I thank Him and give Him the praise.”
Zurcher is the fourth Wildcat chosen to receive one of the prestigious National Scholar-Athlete awards. Previous honorees include Jim Kovach in 1978, Leon Shadowen in 1979, and Rob Mangas in 1982. Zurcher, a senior in eligibility, completed his bachelor’s degree last May with a 4.0 grade point average and a double major in English and advertising. This fall, he began work on his master’s degree in diplomacy from UK’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.
On the field, he is the Wildcats’ starting free safety and he leads the team in tackles with 58 stops. He had 17 tackles in Saturday’s game against Georgia, tying a single-game school record with 16 solo tackles. He also has three tackles for loss, one quarterback sack, and three pass breakups this season.
In addition, Zurcher has been active in “The Cats’ Cause” community service program and in the UK chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Currently, Zurcher is a nominee for the 1998 GTE Academic All-America team. Other academic honors won by Zurcher include: SEC Academic Honor Roll, 1996-97, UK nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship, 1997 Nationwide Insurance SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Week, 1998.
