Award To Honor Exemplary Leadership By A College Player
DALLAS (Feb. 12, 2025) – Kentucky’s J.J. Weaver has been selected as the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten presented Weaver with the award at a ceremony tonight in Arlington, Texas.
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, presented by Albertson’s/Tom Thumb, is awarded to the Football Bowl Subdivision player who best demonstrates an outstanding record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship.
“I am excited and honored to present the eighth annual Collegiate Man of the Year to J.J. Weaver,” said Witten. “He is a great leader and an inspiration to us all. He overcame several challenges in his time at Kentucky, including injuries, the death of his father and high school coach. But he used those challenges to help others and become an inspiration to so many. He is a perfect example of what a college student-athlete can be.”
Weaver is a five-year letterwinner and a standout linebacker for the Cats. He is a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and was a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy. Elected as a captain in three straight seasons by his teammates, Weaver overcame a torn ACL as a freshman then the sudden loss of both his father and his beloved high school coach a year later. His strong will to return established him as a leader, and he has become an advocate for mental health and grief counseling. He has established a foundation that has organized a bike drive and a back-to-school event in his hometown of Louisville and in the Lexington community. Last year, he launched a peer-led, first-of-its-kind grief counseling group on UK’s campus.
Weaver was chosen as the recipient of the award among three finalists, which also included Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein and North Carolina’s Kaimon Rucker.
“J.J. is a very deserving winner of this award,” said Witten. “It’s very difficult for the selection committee to choose a winner from these three finalists. Ahmed and Kaimon are both outstanding leaders and have taken active roles on campus and in the community. All three of these men have extremely bright futures.”
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field. The inaugural award was presented to UCF’s Shaquem Griffin in 2017. The second annual award was presented to Wisconsin’s D’Cota Dixon in 2018. Tennessee’s Trey Smith took home the honor in 2019, Sam Ehlinger of Texas won the award in 2020, Josh Paschal of Kentucky in 2021 and Deslin Alexandre of Pittsburgh in 2022. Virginia’s Mike Hollins received the honor last year.