Emeel Salem Wins H. Boyd McWhorter Post-Graduate Scholarship
4/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For just the second time in school history, a member of the University of Alabama baseball team has earned the highest academic honor from the Southeastern Conference.
The SEC Office announced today that senior center fiddler Emeel Salem (Mountain Brook) has been named the male recipient of the 2007 H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Vanderbilt University track and field athlete Erika Schneble was the female recipient.
"This is so overwhelming and it's such an honor to receive such a prestigious award," Salem said. "I owe all of this to those who have helped me with my academics the past four years. Without them, none of this would be possible."
The two were chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities. Both will receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by AT&T. The awards will be formally presented to the two student-athletes at the annual Awards Banquet at the league's spring meeting in Destin, Fla. on May 31.
Salem joins former Crimson Tide outfielder and Academic All-American Dr. Jeff Laubenthal as the only two UA baseball players to win the league's highest post-graduate honor. Laubenthal, who now serves as the team physician for the Alabama baseball team, won the award in 1992.
"The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor a student-athlete can receive in the Southeastern Conference," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "Emeel and Erika have displayed dedication and commitment to success in all phases of their lives that have made them excellent selections for the McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award. The SEC and AT&T are extremely proud to honor these two student-athletes for their accomplishments."
Salem, a senior from Birmingham, Ala., has earned a 3.85 grade point average, with a double-major in Marketing and Spanish. He is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll (2006-07 Spring Honor Roll announced later in spring) and a six-time time member of the Dean's and President's List.
Salem also received the 2007 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, which honors a male and female student of the graduating class and is considered the highest honor the University of Alabama bestows. It recognizes excellence of character and service to humanity and the practice application of noble ideals.
He has been recently nominated for the 2007 LOWE'S Senior Class Award, based on academic achievement, athletic accomplishments and community service.
Salem was named a pre-season All-America outfielder by College Baseball Foundation, Rivals.com and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2007. He was a semifinalist for the 2006 Brooks Wallace Award and a first-team All-American by the College Baseball Foundation.
He was also the 2006 SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and member of the 2006 SEC Good Works Team from community service. He was also a First-Team Academic All-American by CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine. He was the only unanimous selection to the 2006 Coaches All-SEC Team and a made the 2006 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional All-Tournament Team.
The McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award is being released to coincide with National Student-Athlete Day, which was created in 1987 by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) and Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, and presented by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
National Student-Athlete Day is held each April 6 to celebrate outstanding student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics while having made significant contributions to the community. It is also a time to recognize those parents, teachers, coaches and school systems which make it possible for young people to find the balance between academics and athletics.
"This is the 20th anniversary of National Student-Athlete Day. It has been two decades of honoring America's amazing student-athletes," said Richard Lapchick, Director of the NCAS and Chair of DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida. "Of all the ways we have tried to do this, I believe SEC's McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Program and scholarships may be the best model for all others. I hope I get the chance to meet this year's winner because I am confident the winner will be a great example of a real scholar-citizen-athlete. I want to personally thank the winner for helping to make this a better world."
The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was first presented in 1986. The honor was renamed the H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year in May 1990 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1972-86.
Past Alabama winners include: Julie Estin (gymnastics, 1987), Jeff Laubenthal (baseball, 1992), Meredith Williard (gymnastics, 1997), Kristen Sterner (gymnastics, 2003) and Lauren Imwalle (soccer, 2004).
Emeel Salem's Academic Accomplishments:
2007 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Male Scholar-Athlete ($10,000 post-graduate scholarship)
2007 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award (the highest honor the University of Alabama offers)
2007 Paul W. Bryant Student-Athlete Nominee
2006 ESPN the Magazine, First-Team Academic All-American
2006 ESPN the Magazine, All-District IV Academic Team
2006 SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2006 Paul W. Bryant Scholar-Athlete Award Finalist
2006 Omicron Delta Kappa
2006 Golden Key International Honor Society
2006 Sigma Alpha Lambda
2006 Recognition of Excellence in Marketing Award (UA Business School)
2006 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2006 President's List (Fall Semester)
2006 President's List (Spring Semester)
2005 President's List (Fall Semester)
2005 President's List (Spring Semester)
2005 National Society of Collegiate Scholars
2005 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2005 Spencer Strategic Distribution Scholarship (UA Department of Marketing)
2004 President's List (Fall Semester)
2004 President's List (Spring Semester)
2004 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2003 President's List (Fall Semester)
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