Rogers Garners Top VIII Award at NCAA Honors Celebration
1/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 15, 2010
ATLANTA - Former Alabama All-American softball player Brittany Rogers (Dacula, Ga.) was recognized at the NCAA Honors Celebration on Friday night at the Atrium Ballroom in the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Rogers earned the prestigious Today's Top VIII Award at the banquet.
"It was such an honor to be in the presence of all those amazing people," Rogers said. "It was a very exciting event and it was really special to meet all the honorees who have made such a greater impact than me. It was a humbling and uplifting experience and a great opportunity. This will be something I will never forget."
Rogers becomes the eighth University of Alabama athlete to garner the award and the fifth in the past decade. She was presented the award by Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore.
The Today's Top VIII award recognizes current student-athletes who have completed their athletic eligibility for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community.
The Top VIII honorees are selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of eight athletics administrators at member institutions, and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes.
"It was a great night for the University of Alabama and the softball program," head coach Patrick Murphy said. "It was fitting that she wrapped up her career with this award in Atlanta with her entire family in attendance. I know she really appreciated the support of the University, especially with Director of Athletics Mal Moore and Executive Director of Athletics Dave Hart in attendance. She said that she wants to represent the University well and I think everyone would agree that she will do just that."
Joining Rogers as Top VIII honorees are Tim Tebow (Florida - football), Amanda Blumenherst (Duke - golf), Courtney Kupets (Georgia - gymnastics), Venessa Lee (Pittsburg State - cross country and indoor and outdoor track), Jeff Lerg (Michigan State - ice hockey), Kent Raymond, (Wheaton (Illinois) -basketball), and Sarah Stevens (Arizona State - indoor and outdoor track).
Also being honored at the event was Silver Anniversary winners Dr. Greg K. Carr of Auburn, Jack Del Rio of USC, Doug Flutie of Boston College, Jackie Joyner-Kersee of UCLA, Maureen O'Toole-Purcell of Hawai'i and Deb Richard of Florida. The Inspiration Awards were given to the 2007 Bluffton University baseball team and Lieutenant Colonel Gregory D. Gadson. The Awards of Valor went to Captain Richard Phillips and Roxana Saberi. Senator George Mitchell was honored with the Theodore Roosevelt Award.
Rogers was a staple on and off the field for the Crimson Tide softball team. The four-year starter helped Alabama register three top-10 national finishes and guided the Crimson Tide to three Women's College World Series berths, including a school-record back-to-back semifinal appearances. She also helped guide Alabama to the 2006 SEC championship and three SEC Western Division titles.
She finished her career ranked first in stolen bases (198); second in batting average (.417), runs (256) and hits (343); and fifth in on base percentage (.463). She became just the second player in school history to post at least 300 hits, score 200 runs and steal 100 bases. She was selected as an all-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and Easton for four straight years, becoming just the third player to nab the honors all four seasons.
Off the diamond her accolades were just as impressive. Rogers was the recipient of a 2009 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and an SEC Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarship. She was the winner of the 2009 Paul Bryant Student-Athlete award, which is presented to the top male and top female student-athlete at Alabama.
She served as president of Alabama's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered with multiple community organizations such as Project Angel Tree, Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Easter Seals walk, and visited various local elementary and high schools.
Alabama's NCAA Top VIII Recipients: Randy Hall, football-1975; Steadman Shealy, football-1980; Meredith Willard, gymnastics-1997; Andreé Pickens, gymnastics-2002; Kristin Sterner, gymnastics-2003; DeMeco Ryans, football-2006; Beth Mallory, track and field-2007; Brittany Rogers, softball-2009.
