The Forest K. Ferguson Award, commonly known as the "Fergie Ferguson Award," is presented annually to a senior member of the Florida Gators football team in memory of one of the University of Florida's greatest athletes.

Fergie Ferguson Award
Awarded for"Senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage"
LocationUniversity of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida
CountryUnited States
Presented byFlorida Gators football
coaching staff
WebsiteFlorida Gators football

Namesake

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The award takes its name from Forest K. Ferguson, known as "Fergie" to his teammates, who was one of the University of Florida's greatest all-around athletes.[1] Ferguson received first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) and honorable mention All-American honors as a football player in 1941.[2] He was also the State of Florida collegiate boxing champion, and won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championship in the javelin throw in 1942.[1] As a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Ferguson led an infantry platoon during the D-Day landings in Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944. His platoon was pinned down by a machine gun being fired from a nest on a high bluff, so Ferguson climbed the cliff and eliminated the danger but was severely wounded in the process.[3] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest medal, for "extraordinary heroism" in combat.[3] Ferguson never fully recovered from his wounds, and died from complications related to his war-time injuries in 1954.[4]

Award

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The Forest K. Ferguson Award was established in Ferguson's honor by several of his former Gators teammates in 1955. The award is given annually in the form of a trophy, which remains in the permanent possession of the university. The recipient is the Gators' "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage," and is selected by the Florida Gators football coaching staff and players.[1] Former Gator and NFL fullback Mal Hammack was the first recipient in 1955.[5] The recipients to date are listed below:

Award winners

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1954Malcolm Hammack (FB)
1955Steve DeLaTorre (C/LB)
1956 – Larry Wesley (T)
1957Jim Rountree (HB)
1958 – Jimmy Dunn (QB)
1959 – Asa Cox (G)
1960Pat Patchen (E), Vic Miranda (T)
1961Jim Beaver (T)
1962 – Sam Holland (E)
1963 – Jimmy Morgan (LB), Hagood Clarke (HB)
1964Larry Dupree (FB)
1965Charles Casey (E)
1966Steve Spurrier (QB)
1967Richard Trapp (E)
1968Guy Dennis (G), Larry Smith (RB)
1969Steve Tannen (DB)
1970Jack Youngblood (DE)
1971John Reaves (QB)
1972Fred Abbott (LB)
1973 – David Hitchcock (NG)
1974Lee McGriff (SE)
1975Jimmy DuBose (FB)
1976 – Jimmy Fisher (QB)
1977Wes Chandler (SE)
1978 – Mike Dupree (DE)
1979 – Chuck Hatch (DB)
1980David Little (LB)
1981 – Brian Clark (PK)
1982James Jones (FB)
1983Dwayne Dixon (WR)
1984 – Gary Rolle (WR)
1985Neal Anderson (RB)
1986Ricky Nattiel (WR)
1987Kerwin Bell (QB)
1988Louis Oliver (DB)
1989 – John Durden (OT)
1990 – Kirk Kirkpatrick (TE)
1991Cal Dixon (C)
1992 – Lex Smith (DE)
1993William Gaines (DT)
1994 – Michael Gilmore (DB)
1995 – Ben Hanks (LB)
1996 – James Bates (LB)
1997 – Dwayne Thomas (LB)
1998 – Willie Cohens (DE)
1999 – Cheston Blackshear (OG)
2000Jesse Palmer (QB)
2001 – Rob Roberts (FB)
2002Byron Hardmon (LB)
2003 – Daryl Dixon (FS)
2004Ciatrick Fason (RB)
2005 – Jarvis Herring (S)
2006Jemalle Cornelius (WR)
2007Andre Caldwell (WR)
2008Louis Murphy (WR)
2009 – Ryan Stamper (LB)
2010Justin Trattou (DE)
2011John Brantley (QB), LB Lerentee McCray (LB)
2012Sharrif Floyd (DL), Jon Bostic (LB), Frankie Hammond (WR), Josh Evans (DB)
2013 – Jeremy Brown (DB), Kyle Koehne (OL), Darrin Kitchens (LB)
2014Max Garcia (OL)
2015Jon Bullard (DL)
2016Jarrad Davis (LB)
2017Duke Dawson (DB)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c 2014 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2014-09-12 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 71 & 94 (2014). Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  2. ^ Grantland Rice, "The All-America Football Team," Collier's, p. 78 (December 13, 1941). Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  3. ^ a b MilitaryTimes.com, Hall of Valor, Forest K. Ferguson. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  4. ^ Associated Press, "Funeral Rites Held For Forrest Ferguson, Gator Grid All-America," St. Petersburg Times, p. 14 (May 20, 1954). Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  5. ^ "Malcolm Hammack Gets First Forest Ferguson Award," The News-Tribune, p. 13 (November 13, 1955). Retrieved September 28, 2014.
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