The Connecticut Football Team Nominated for FedEx Orange Bowl/ FWAA Courage Award
October 30, 2009 02:33 PM
Miami Lakes, FL (FWAA) – The Connecticut football team is the weekly nominee for the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. The Huskies are dealing with the tragic death of a teammate Oct. 18.
Jasper "Jazz" Howard, a starting cornerback, was stabbed to death during an altercation after a campus-sponsored party about 12:30 a.m. Oct. 18 – just hours after he helped UConn beat Louisville. Last Saturday, the Huskies played an inspired game at West Virginia, losing 28-24 in the final minutes.
The Huskies displayed Howard’s jersey and helmet behind their bench, wore "JH" stickers on their helmets, and received a warm ovation from the West Virginia fans. In the visitors’ tunnel at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, a sign was posted with the message, "Today We Are All Huskies," and thousands of signatures from students and fans.
"I just feel empty," said UConn coach Randy Edsall, who is credited with helping keep the Huskies together through the emotional time, in the moments after the loss to West Virginia. "The kids played their hearts out and did what we asked them to do. They did a great job but came up a little short. I know ‘Jazz’ is proud of their effort."
On Monday, the Huskies traveled together to attend Howard’s funeral in his hometown of Miami. They play Rutgers on Saturday.
"We’re all hurting," senior receiver Marcus Easley said in the days after Howard’s death. "We lost a teammate, some lost a friend, some lost a brother, some lost a son. We’re all dealing with something."
For the fourth straight year, the Football Writers Association of America and the FedEx Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee each Wednesday during the season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the winner from all of the nominees. The winner of the FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award will be announced in December and be presented with the trophy.
The Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine's senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a FWAA member. A select group of writers from the FWAA vote on the winner each year. The requirements for nomination include displaying courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship.
Previous winners of the FWAA's Courage Award are Tulsa’s Wilson Holloway (2008), Navy’s Zerbin Singleton (2007), Clemson's Ray Ray McElrathbey (2006), the Tulane football team (2005), Memphis' Haracio Colen (2004), San Jose State's Neil Parry (2003) and Toledo's William Bratton (2002).