Ladd McConkey recognized with Wuerffel Trophy for community service
Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey was named the winner of the Wuerffel Trophy on Friday night, awarded annually to college football’s most impactful community service leader. Also a member of the AFCA Allstate Good Works, McConkey is the fifth Georgia player to be named a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy since its start (Drew Butler – 2011, Aaron Murray – 2012, Chris Conley – 2014, Nakobe Dean – 2021) but the first Bulldog to bring home the hardware.
“My family, they’ve been so good to me and have blessed me in so many ways. They always tell me to be a good person, and that’s what I try to do, try to make somebody else’s day because it makes mine as much,” McConkey said after receiving the award on ESPN. “I feel like if I make them happy, it makes me happy. It puts a smile on my face. There’s nothing like that. Doing stuff on the field is great, but when you can do stuff in your community, it means that much more.”
Not only has McConkey made an impact off the field, but he’s been a dominant player on it when healthy. Limited to just eight games this season due to injury, McConkey managed to finish fourth on the team in receptions and receiving yards with 29 grabs for 456 yards and two touchdowns. He had back to back career outings, tying his career-high yardage total of 135 against Florida before putting up a career-best seven receptions the next week versus Missouri. That came in a three-game stretch where McConkey played his best football of the season, and was the healthiest.
Health however was the major storyline for him in 2023. McConkey started the season sidelined due to a back issue. He missed four games as a result. The Chatsworth, Ga. native returned from that only to suffer an ankle sprain later in the season that limited him against Tennessee and had him out against Georgia Tech. He returned to play in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama when he had three catches for 38 yards, wearing a brace on the injured ankle and noticeably limping off the field at times.
A lesser recruited player out of high school, McConkey’s ability to make an impact has become a motivating story for many. After he redshirted and was on the scout team in 2020, his second season saw him blossom into a much bigger role for the Bulldogs.
McConkey played in all 15 games, starting seven, and finished second on the team in catches with 31 for 447 yards and five touchdowns in 2021. His team-high five grabs and 135 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, helped the Bulldogs to a road win over a ranked Auburn squad and earned McConkey SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Just a couple of weeks prior, he had both a rushing and a receiving score versus Vanderbilt.
McConkey once again finished second on the team in receiving in 2022, this time with an even bigger role for the Bulldogs. He hauled in 58 passes for 762 yards and a team-high tying seven receiving scores. He also rushed for two touchdowns. In the 2023 National Championship Game win over TCU, McConkey caught five passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns to help the Bulldogs to the largest victory in College Football Playoff history as they beat the Horned Frogs 65-7.
