Penn State center Nick Dawkins makes Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, is in running for Wuerffel Trophy
Penn State center and team captain Nick Dawkins is being recognized for his work off the field. The redshirt senior from Allentown, Pa., is one of 22 FBS players on the Allstate AFCA Good Works team. It recognizes the sports leaders in community service. And, it also puts Dawkins in the running for the Wuerffel Trophy, which goes annually to “college football’s most impactful leaders in community service,” according to the trophy’s website. A Penn State player has never won that honor. It has been given out annually since 2005.
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Dawkins made the final 22 after being on a preseason watch list of 178 players. He is one of 11 FBS players to make the cut.
“It is amazing to see the extra efforts and community service these 22 young men put out on a daily basis,” AFCA executive director Craig Bohl said in a news release. “Not to be outdone, our honorary head coach Marcus Freeman shows that you can still give back and help your community even when you are the head coach of an FBS program like Notre Dame. I congratulate Coach Freeman and these 22 student-athletes for making the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.”
His Good Works Team bio reads as follows:
“Nick Dawkins has carved his own path as a leader both on and off the field. Penn State’s 2023 Public Service Award winner, Nick founded the Dawkins Family Foundation to champion academic and athletic excellence for young students.
“He’s brought his passion to life at the YMCA of Centre County, where he created summer sports camps. At Penn State, he leads Uplifting Athletics in raising funds for rare disease research. Beyond his public roles, Nick is a devoted son and brother, providing unwavering support to his family, especially his sister with Down Syndrome.”
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Dawkins is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick. He is in his first season as a starter for the Nittany Lions (2-0), who return to the field Saturday against Kent State. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
“Since I’ve been here, it’s always been about what I do off the field,” Dawkins told BWI this summer. “I think that’s important, because it’s the mark of who I am as a man, not my identity as a football player.
“But I’ll be honest with you. I have all the confidence in the world that I’m the best center in the country. I’ve worked my dang tail off to be that and to be in the position that I’m in. I think there are a lot of guys in this world who have more talent than I do, but I promise you that they will never outwork me. They’ll never put in the work and the time and the effort that I have put in to be in the position that I’m in now.”
