2017 SEC Football Community Service Team announced
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference on Tuesday announced the Community Service Team for the sport of football, prior to the SEC Championship Game to be played Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The SEC names a Community Service Team for each of its 21-league sponsored sports, looking to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his community through superior service efforts.
The 2017 SEC Football Community Service Team is as follows:
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
Has been a team leader in the community and on campus ... Has given his time to several groups in his two years with the football program, including the YMCA, TAP, Inc. and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, mentoring youth in the Tuscaloosa area ... Active in local schools reading to children ... Most recently, spent his spring break with a group of Alabama student-athletes as part of an FCA mission trip that did relief work in Costa Rica.
Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
Finalist for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award ... Will graduate in December ... Made the 2016 SEC Academic Honor Roll ... Voted as a team captain entering his senior season ... Semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year and Wuerffel Trophy ... Participated in Book Hogs at Root Elementary in Fayetteville, an initiative that encourages students at the elementary school level to enjoy reading ... Made visits to elementary schools in Northwest Arkansas throughout the Spring 2017 and Fall 2017 semesters ... Participated in Razorback Relief: Operation Baton Rouge, which benefited those impacted by floods in Louisiana in August 2016 ... Volunteered with Hogs for Hope, a registered student organization at the University of Arkansas whose goal is to fundraise and support the Arkansas Children's Hospital ... Volunteered with and made regular visits over the last three years to the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter ... Helped host Special Olympics Arkansas at football practices this past spring.
Daniel Carlson, Auburn
AFCA Good Works team member ... Semifinalist for Wuerffel Trophy and Campbell Trophy ... Finalist for Pop Warner College award ... Involved with Christian mission trips and speaking to numerous youth and faith-based groups ... Active in visits to children's hospitals ... Frequent visitor to schools and after-school programs for reading ... Will earn his MBA in December.
Johnny Townsend, Florida
Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll Member (2014, 2015, 2016) ... SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll selection (2013) ... Over his career, he has worked with 10 different community service organizations including the Boys an4d Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity and UF Shands Cancer Hospital. This past June, he spent 50 hours volunteering at the Kohl's Kicking Camp ... In February, he spent 10 hours volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America, where he holds an honor of Eagle Scout. Townsend has also volunteered for Hidden Oak, attended school visits and worked on the Day for Kids campaign ... Involved with the Boy Scouts of America, as his community service work shows ... Began as a Cub Scout in Kindergarten and worked his way up to Eagle Scout in high school.
Aaron Davis, Georgia
2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team ... Involved with UGA Athletic Association's Leadership Academy (LEAD) ... Spokesperson for "No More," which is a public service announcement against domestic violence and sexual assault... Visitation at Camp Sunshine, which is a camp that provides support programs for children with cancer and their families...Worked with individuals involved who are part of Extra Special People (ESP), which is an organization that assists with individuals with developmental disabilities ... Speaker at the UGA Athletic Association's "Learn, Play, Excel" program, which has UGA coaches and student-athletes visit and talk with elementary and middle school students on topics such as education, leadership, anti-bullying, respect for authority and the value of participation in athletics.
Jacob Hyde, Kentucky
Frequent visitor at UK Children's Hospital ... Read books to children at Picadome Elementary ... Volunteered at Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl for Kids' Sake fundraiser, bowling and spending time with kids with cancer ... Visited with sick children at Wolfson Children's Hospital at the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. ... Volunteered for Read Across America Day at Fayette Mall ... Visitor at a local nursing home ... Stayed after practice to spend time with the Special Olympics ... Read books to children at Woodford County Library for their summer reading program ... Visited to a leukemia patient at UK Children's Hospital ... Volunteer at Jessamine County Youth Football Camp ... Graduated in May of 2017 with a degree in social work and is currently working on a master's degree in social work with the hopes of helping children one day.
John David Moore, LSU
Involved with numerous community service related activities in the Baton Rouge and surrounding areas ... Active member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and spends time speaking to FCA groups in the area ... Also worked FCA Summer Camp ... Has volunteered time at a P.E. Class at Southeast Middle School ... Participated in LSU Move-In Day where he assisted LSU freshmen move into the dorms on campus ... Participated in a promotional video for the LSU School of Architecture.
Javon Patterson, Ole Miss
Member of the NCAA Division I Football Recruiting Ad Hoc Working Group ... Nominee for 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team ... Has read twice a semester since 2015 to local Oxford/Lafayette elementary schools ... Read Across America Day: Participates in the annual Read Across America Week celebrating Dr. Suess' birthday where he read to classes at Oxford Elementary and Oxford Intermediate schools ... Assists with the yearly Ole Miss Athletics Adopt-A-Basket initiative during Thanksgiving season where he helped Ole Miss Football collect Thanksgiving food items for local the Oxford-Lafayette community. Javon has participated in this initiative since arriving in 2015 ... Hope to Dream: One-time event that partnered with Ashley Home Furniture to provide beds to children at North Mississippi Boys and Girls Club. Javon participated in the pre-event activities where he played games with the children, and then assisted with their surprise of beds ... Visits Oxford & Lafayette Elementary Schools twice per semester to get to know students, share his student-athlete experience, and personal story.
Gabe Myles, Mississippi State
Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member ... Serves on MSU's Student Athlete Advisory Committee ... Routinely reads to kids at the TK Martin Center ... Participated at Camp Rising Sun, a program for kids in cancer treatment ... Twice participated in Read Across America ... Rings the bells for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign.
Anthony Hines, Missouri
Consistently visits West Boulevard Elementary School to mentor kids, and does this on his own time and initiative ... Involved with Playing 4 Hope, as well as the Mizzou International Experience Program, Safe Kids Day, and also making time to visit the Children's Hospital here in town ... Part of our Tiger Leadership Institute, a special invite-only year-long workshop that select student-athletes participate in to help hone their leadership skills for the future.
Spencer Eason-Riddle, South Carolina
Walk-on linebacker who has performed 75 hours of community service, including over 50 hours at the VA Hospital ... Interested in a degree in cardiovascular technology.
Kyle Phillips, Tennessee
Took part in the VOLeaders Academy's 13-day study-abroad trip to Vietnam where he and fellow Tennessee student-athletes learned about the nation's culture and used sports as a means to enact positive change ... On the trip, Phillips interacted with Vietnamese youth, worked with children in orphanages and volunteered at various sport skill camps ... Nominated by his coaches to take part in the VOLeaders Academy.
Koda Martin, Texas A&M
Has led the Aggies Chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has participated in Aggie Athletes Involved and coordinated two mission trips the past two years for Aggies in Haiti ... Has started at offensive tackle the past two seasons.
Tommy Openshaw, Vanderbilt
AFCA/Allstate Good Works Team member ... Semifinalist for Wuerffel Trophy ... Semifinalist for William V. Campbell Trophy ... Has played an active role in the Nashville-area since arriving on Vanderbilt's campus ... Has assisted the homeless community at Nashville's Room at the Inn, visited with ailing youngsters at Vanderbilt's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital and helped several Catholic charities involving elementary school students ... Has traveled abroad in each of the last four years to help impoverished communities ... Has visited the Dominican Republic on two occasions, St. Lucia and Costa Rica on mission efforts.