Proehl Honored By Wooden Citizenship Cup

ATLANTA --- North Carolina's Austin Proehl was honored as a semifinalist for the Wooden Citizenship Cup, the organization Athletes For A Better World announced this week. The former Tar Heel wide receiver is one of 25 semifinalists nationally chosen from nominees across all sports and levels of college athletics.

Proehl acted as a community service liaison for the football program during his time at UNC, leading a number of service initiatives, a sample of which included visits to the UNC Children's Hospital and UNC Cancer Hospital, participating in the UNC Athletics Pen Pal Program and volunteering as a guest reader at a number of local elementary schools.

This is the latest in a long line of honors Proehl has received for his work in the community. He was a nominee for the 2017 AFCA Good Works Team, a candidate for the 2017 Wuerffel Trophy and a recipient of the 2015-16 ACC Top Six for Service award.

"Austin has a special gift of not just playing football, but also serving others," said Korie Sawyer Rich, Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development for UNC Athletics. "He is a leader on and off of the field, and he's used his platform as a student-athlete to make the world a better place, and will continue to do so after graduation. There is no one more deserving of an award that embodies character, teamwork and citizenship."

"One of the most special things about Austin is his character and his will to impact the lives of those around him," said Kathy Zambrana, a counselor in the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes at UNC. "He pushes those around him to be better and is supportive of all those around him. When I think about service and giving back to a community, Austin has made it his mission to give back to the community he is a part of in a significant way."

The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented to distinguished athletes from any sport – two high school, one intercollegiate, and one professional – that best display character, teamwork, and citizenship, the attributes Athletes for a Better World deems central to transforming individuals, sport, and society. The award establishes the recipients as athletes of excellence both on and off the field, role models both as performers and persons, the most important and distinctive honor athletes can achieve.

In addition to the 25 semifinalists, four finalists were selected by ABW. They are listed below.

Wooden Cup Semifinalists
A.J. Cole, III, North Carolina State, Football
Salvador Cordova, Purdue University Northwest, Cross Country
Chase Cupps, University of Oklahoma, Gymnastics
Jake Daugherty, Ferris State University, Football
Jeremy Deemer, Graceland University, Basketball
Kenny Doss, Manchester University, Basketball
Zaire Franklin, Syracuse University, Football
KeShun Freeman, Georgia Institute of Technology, Football
Karissa Frazier, University of Illinois at Chicago, Softball
Zach Golditch, Colorado State University, Football
Micah Kiser, the University of Virginia, Football
Aris Knight, Southeastern University, Wrestling
Courtney Love, University of Kentucky, Football
Haley Lukas, University of California, Soccer
Katie McKrell, Daemon College, Volleyball
Michelle Murch, St.Thomas University, Softball
Margaret Musser, St. Lawrence University, Swimming
Gunnar Orcutt, Peru State College, Football
Austin Proehl, University of North Carolina, Football
Alyssa Rice, University of Kentucky, Basketball
Karrington Seals, Wayne State University, Track
Blaise Taylor, Arkansas State University, Football
Wesley Ward, Illinois State University, Cross Country and Track
Marlon Wells, Stephen F. Austin University, Football
Alec Willis, St. Joseph's College, Basketball

Finalists
Ashley Marcus, University of Pennsylvania, Fencing
Hannah Menk, University of Redlands, Soccer
Patrick Mohorcic, The College of Wooster, Football
Stephen Rizzo, Marist College, Cross Country

Players Mentioned

Austin Proehl

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