Kentucky receiver chosen as winner of Trent DiGiuro Memorial Scholarship.
LEXINGTON, Kty. – University of Kentucky wide receiver Alex Herman has been chosen as the winner of the sixth annual Trent DiGiuro Memorial Scholarship.
Herman, a junior from Union, Ky., has been a four-year member of the UK football team. He earned his first varsity letter during the 1999 season, playing in all 11 regular-season games plus the HomePoint.com Music City Bowl. He got most of his playing time on the punt coverage team and showed a knack for getting downfield quickly and downing punts before they reached the end zone. He was named the “UK Walk-on of the Year” by the Louisville chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
Herman played two years for the UK junior varsity, 1997-98, while practicing with the varsity. He joined the team as a freshman in 1996. He is working on a degree in marketing and expects to graduate in May, 2001.
The scholarship fund was established by friends and family of former UK offensive guard Trent DiGiuro, who died on July 17, 1994. Trent’s parents, Mike and Ann DiGiuro, officially established the fund on Oct. 24, 1994.
The fund provides one or more scholarships each year to students who: 1) are walk-on (non-scholarship) football players at UK; 2) have played on the football team at least two years; 3) have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.5; and 4) best exemplify the dedication, determination, hard work, and leadership typified by Trent DiGiuro.
If no walk-on player meets the above criteria, the scholarship is awarded to a manager or trainer who has completed two years of service, maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, and has exemplified the dedication, determination, hard work, and leadership typified by Trent DiGiuro.
“I feel very honored by this,” Herman said. “I want to thank Trent’s family for what they’ve done to make the scholarship possible, and I’m privileged to receive it.”
Trent DiGiuro was from Goshen, Ky., and earned all-district honors at South Oldham High School. He came to UK as a walk-on offensive lineman in 1991. Through hard work and perseverance, he began earning playing time in 1993 as the Wildcats advanced to the Peach Bowl. In the off-season, he posted the best bench press on the team and he finished 1994 spring practice as the starting right guard. Trent also made steady progress in his academic work and earned a place on the 1993 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
The first DiGiuro Scholarship was given in 1995 to placekicker Brent Claiborne. Subsequent scholarships have been awarded to manager Andrew Cline (1996), trainer Patrick Sininger (1997), linebacker Stephan Walters (1998), and tight end Cheddi Acham (1999).
