For the fourth straight year, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee each Wednesday during the college football season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the winner from all of the nominees. The winner of the 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).
This year’s nominees include:
Sept. 23: D.J. Williams, Arkansas
Sept. 30: Mark Herzlich, Boston College
Oct. 8: Darius Nall, Central Florida
Oct. 14: Ricky Rosas, USC
Oct. 21: Derrick Coleman, UCLA
Oct. 28: University of Connecticut Football Team - 2009 Winner
Nov. 4: Antoine "Shaky" Smithson, Utah
Nov. 11: Dan Potokar, Ohio State
Nov. 18: Thomas "Rock" Roggeman, East Carolina
In 2008, Tulsa’s Wilson Holloway was named as the winner of the Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Holloway, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Oklahoma City, has battled cancer since the spring of 2007, when a softball-sized mass was discovered in his chest.
Holloway was presented the award at the FedEx BCS Championship Game last year.
"I don’t think anyone sets their goal at the beginning of the year that, ‘Boy, I hope I win the Courage Award,’" said Tulsa co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand. "But … I can’t think of a better guy to get it. On top of that, once he whips this cancer, he’ll be a tremendous player for us and he’ll be an inspiration to a bunch of people."
After Holloway was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, he underwent chemotherapy treatment throughout the spring and summer and returned to play for the Gold en Hurricane this season on special teams and in a reserve role.
In October of 2008, however, tests on a swollen lymph node showed the cancer had returned. He began a treatment cycle that included two rounds of chemotherapy with three-week breaks between, followed by five straight days of treatment during which he was sequestered in the hospital.
Despite the cancer, Holloway played in six games – including one game (Oct. 26 vs. Central Florida) after he had begun treatment. When he began losing his hair, his fellow offensive linemen shaved their heads. Hand did, as well.
His coaches and teammates say through it all, Holloway has remained optimistic and determined.
"The natural thing a person asks in that situation is, "Why me?’" Hand said. "Whether Wilson has ever asked himself that or not, you’d never know just because of the way he’s handled it. He’s shown an unbelievable courage and a great spirit and attitude."
"There’s a light on the other side," Holloway told the Tulsa World. "I’m keeping an upbeat, positive spirit about it. God doesn’t put anything on us that we can’t handle. That’s the one reason that I’ve been so calm about it."
"We’re extremely proud of Wilson’s courage and his faith," Tulsa coach Todd Graham said. "His example to our team has been absolutely outstanding. We’re so excited for him to be honored this way with the Courage Award. It’s an unbelievable reflection on such a great human being…
"He’s been a tremendous example to everyone on how to face adversity and that’s with an unbelievable faith and determination. He’s got a spirit that is extremely unique and has been an inspiration to our team."