Josh Paschal named Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year

Josh Paschal is ending his Kentucky career by adding another piece of hardware to his trophy collection.

Thursday night the Kentucky edge received the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award at The Star in Frisco, Tx. He was selected among three finalists, including Grant Morgan of Arkansas and Patrick Fields of Oklahoma, who all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.  

The award is given to college football’s best leader, both on and off the field. Paschal will receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund. It’s the fifth straight year a Kentucky football player has received a national award for their accomplishments away from the football field.

2017:   Danny Wuerffel Trophy – Courtney Love 
            National Good Works Team – Courtney Love 
2018:    Pop Warner Award – C.J. Conrad 
            Academic All-America – Blake Best, Miles Butler 
2019:    National Good Works Team – Landon Young 
             Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team – Josh Paschal 
             Academic All-America – Blake Best 
2020:    Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year – Kenneth Horsey 
             National Good Works Team – Luke Fortner 
2021:    Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year – Josh Paschal 
             National Good Works Team – Kenneth Horsey  
             Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year – J.J. Weaver 
              Academic All-America – Luke Fortner, Colin Goodfellow, Josh Paschal

No one more deserving of this award!! @JPaschalx exemplifies leadership, commitment, toughness, grit, and selflessness. #BBN https://t.co/i1LdSISHJN pic.twitter.com/Hzf1d5l0q5

— Brad White (@CoachWhiteFB) February 18, 2022

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The first three-time team captain in Kentucky football history, Paschal showed courage early in his career by taking a malignant melanoma diagnosis to the chin, then proceeding to kick cancer’s ass. It’s a story the BBN is well-versed in by now, but there’s one part of the story I did not know until Friday morning.

Even on the day of his final treatment, most patients ring the bell to mark the end of treatments and UK wanted to send cameras and photographers to document the moment. “No way,” Paschal said. He never wanted the attention to be on himself because so many patients around him were far worse and he “didn’t want to rub it in that he was finished already.”  

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In Paschal’s final season he recorded 15.5 tackles for loss, the second-most in the SEC. His 37 career tackles for loss are tied for the third-most in school history. In 2021 he also 53 tackles, 5.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal against Florida, one of the most memorable moments in Kroger Field history. He’ll hear his name called in April at the NFL Draft.