McCartney Named Semifinalist for Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award

DALLAS – On Tuesday, Colorado senior outside linebacker Derek McCartney was named one of 20 semifinalists for the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award.

Compiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee, the semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

McCartney is one of three Pac-12 football players up for the award and is joined on the list by USC's Jake Olson and Stanford's Harrison Phillips.

McCartney has made the Colorado Buffaloes and his family proud by being an exemplary student-athlete.

He graduated in May 2016 after just three years with a degree in one of CU's most challenging majors – Integrative Physiology – with a Pre-Med course of study at Colorado. He is now enrolled in CU's graduate program for Integrative Physiology and is on schedule to earn his master's this December.

He has given back to the community that supports him and on the field he has been a role model for teammates and others, highlighted by the fact that he is one of just 10 Buffs in program history to serve as a team captain twice. Last weekend at Arizona State, McCartney posted new single-game highs in tackles (14) and pass breakups (3) while also recording one sack and having three third down stops.

"I've been blessed with the opportunity to be on the stage that I am on and any chance that I have to give back, I just really want to do that," McCartney said. "It is kind of how I was raised. I have been given a lot through my life and I don't want to take that for granted. One of the ways I try to show that is just by helping others."

McCartney has given back in several different ways, one that including helping save another man's life.

"Last year I got to be involved with Be The Match and I helped donate some peripheral blood stem cells," he said. "That was a really cool thing for me and now I am in contact with the guy I donated them to and it has been fun getting to know him.

"I enjoy helping out with Special Olympic events and we've had a couple here at the school and there are some opportunities at my church that I go do sometimes and that has been cool for me."

He credits his mother and grandfather, Bill McCartney, the all-time winningest coach in Colorado history and a member of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, for making him the man he is today.

"I grew up with my mom and my brother and my grandparents next door," he said. "My mom, she is just really strong and she has helped me grow into the man I am today. Also, my grandpa, living next door to him has been huge. He has made a big impact on my life and one of the biggest things with him is he just encourages me all the time and he encourages me to encourage others.

"One of the things that my grandfather always taught me is that you want to grow spiritually, you want to grow physically, mentally and socially. All of those areas you can bring those characteristics straight in to and that is kind of the way I try to approach life. In the end it is really just about doing what I can to help others and that is why I am here."

Four finalists will be named for the award on Monday, Dec. 11. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Feb. 22, 2018, at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

The inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, will be the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport and the Cowboys' all-time leading receiver, has served as one of football's most prominent role models during his 15-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten has also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.

"I am honored to announce this impressive group as the semifinalists for the Collegiate Man of the Year," said Witten. "Every kid nominated had had such a special story. It was difficult to pair it down, but these 20 men have demonstrated exceptional character and leadership, many in the face of adversity. They are great representatives for the game of football and for college athletics as a whole, and I commend all nominees for getting to this point."

The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 10 years. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.

McCartney Named Semifinalist for Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award

Players Mentioned

Derek McCartney

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