DALLAS (FWAA) – Colorado State offensive
guard Zack Golditch is the third weekly nominee for the 2014
Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award.
Golditch, a 6-6, 290-pound redshirt freshman from Aurora,
Colo. (Gateway High School), is a survivor of the theater
shooting in Aurora on July 20, 2012. He was sitting in the
adjoining theater in the complex where the shooting actually
occurred and was struck in the neck by a bullet that passed
through the wall.
Another sixteenth of an inch and the bullet could have
resulted in paralysis or cost Golditch his life. He recovered
and played his senior season in high school on both the
offensive and defensive lines. He redshirted last season, his
first year in Fort Collins, because of an unrelated medical
issue. But he has battled through the trauma and injuries from
the theater incident to play college football.
The Courage Award was first presented by the FWAA in 2002. 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. The winner of
the award will be included in festivities during Orange Bowl week
and receive his trophy at an on-field presentation.
Previous winners of the FWAA's Courage Award are San José
State defensive lineman Anthony Larceval (2013), Clemson wide receiver
Daniel Rodriguez (2012), Michigan State offensive lineman Arthur
Ray Jr. (2011), Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand (2010), the
University of Connecticut football team (2009), 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 José State's Neil Parry (2003) and Toledo's William
Bratton (2002).
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The Orange Bowl is a 360-member,
primarily-volunteer non-profit sports organization that promotes
and serves the South Florida community. The Orange Bowl features
a year-round schedule of events culminating with the Capital One
Orange Bowl on December 31, 2014. Other Orange Bowl core events
include the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, Orange Bowl
Youth Football Alliance presented by Sports Authority, Orange
Bowl International Tennis Championships, Orange Bowl
International Youth Regatta, Orange Bowl Swim Classic and Orange
Bowl Paddle Championships. For more information on the 2014-15
Orange Bowl events, including promotional and volunteer
opportunities through the Ambassador Program presented by Panera
Bread, log on to www.orangebowl.org.
The Football Writers Association of America,
a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of 1,400 men
and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists,
broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the
areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that
include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America
team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs,
contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
2014 Orange Bowl Courage Award Nominees •
Sept. 17: Deon Hill, Georgia Tech •
Sept. 24: Ian Frye, Virginia •
Oct. 1: Zack Golditch, Colorado State •
Oct. 8: Josh Clemons, Kentucky •
Oct. 15: Shon Coleman, Auburn •
Oct. 22: Rori Blair, Pittsburgh •
Oct. 29: Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville •
Nov. 5: Laken Tomlinson, Duke •
Nov. 12: Kyle McCarthy, Notre Dame •
Nov. 19: Jarvis Byrd, N.C. State
Related link: • Orange
Bowl Courage Award
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