University of North Carolina Athletics
Rucker Honored As A Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete
November 21, 2022 | Football
WASHINGTON (November 21, 2022) -- The Military Bowl and 3M are proud to announce the members of the second annual Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete Program, recognizing some of the brightest minds taking the football field in the ACC and the American Athletic Conference. Junior defensive lineman Kaimon Rucker is this year's representative for UNC. Rucker is majoring in psychology, and plans on pursuing a career as a sports psychologist.
"I personally see sports psychologists as a vital part of every sports team," Rucker said. "The reason being is because mental health is more important now than ever before. In order to optimize player performance and to help athletes maintain a positive mindset consistently, sports psychologists can step in that gap to bridge together an athlete's mental and physical. Also, sports psychologists can be used as a "coach," but off the field or court. They are often seen as people you see when you're "mentally weak," however, they're actually used to strengthen the mind, establish themselves and create resources for athletes to use, and prioritize their health before an athlete's sport."
"Once again the Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete Program is shining a light on a remarkable group of student-athletes," Military Bowl President & Executive Director Steve Beck said. "These young men are leaders on and off the field, taking head on the challenges of rigorous course work while helping their teams every Saturday."
The Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete Program honors one football player at each university that is a member of the ACC and the American Athletic Conference – the two conferences that are represented in the Military Bowl college football game. These players are studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) subjects and/or aspire to STEM careers.
"3M is excited to recognize these outstanding students pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields," said Skip Driessen, Director of 3M Government Markets. "We know how hard these scholar-athletes have worked on the field and in the classroom and look forward to their continued success."
The Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athletes from the ACC are:
CONTACT: Josh Barr, jbarr@militarybowl.org
About the Military Bowl presented by Peraton
The Military Bowl presented by Peraton, benefiting the USO is the National Capital Region's college football postseason bowl game broadcast on ESPN and featuring a matchup between teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. Organized by the Military Bowl Foundation, the Bowl's mission is to benefit our nation's service members including a partnership with USO-Metro and the operation of Patriot Point, a 294-acre retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers on Maryland's Eastern Shore. For the latest updates, visit militarybowl.org, follow @MilitaryBowl on Twitter and Instagram and like Military Bowl on Facebook! The 2022 Military Bowl kicks off on December 28 at 2 pm ET.
About the Military Bowl Foundation
The Military Bowl Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates premier events in the National Capital Region to benefit our nation's service members. Originally formed to create the region's first-ever college football postseason bowl game, the Foundation now not only runs the Military Bowl presented by Peraton but additionally operates the DC Touchdown Club and Patriot Point, a retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The Foundation hosts engaging events throughout the year to raise money and awareness for military service members, directly impacting those who give so much of themselves for the country.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $30 billion in sales, our 90,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to the world's problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews. 3M supports initiatives that advance equitable STEM and business outcomes for under-represented and under-resourced populations by increasing STEM exposure through classroom experiences and afterschool and extracurricular activities, supporting experiential learning experiences and investing in teacher professional development and build a pipeline of diverse STEM teachers.
"I personally see sports psychologists as a vital part of every sports team," Rucker said. "The reason being is because mental health is more important now than ever before. In order to optimize player performance and to help athletes maintain a positive mindset consistently, sports psychologists can step in that gap to bridge together an athlete's mental and physical. Also, sports psychologists can be used as a "coach," but off the field or court. They are often seen as people you see when you're "mentally weak," however, they're actually used to strengthen the mind, establish themselves and create resources for athletes to use, and prioritize their health before an athlete's sport."
"Once again the Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete Program is shining a light on a remarkable group of student-athletes," Military Bowl President & Executive Director Steve Beck said. "These young men are leaders on and off the field, taking head on the challenges of rigorous course work while helping their teams every Saturday."
The Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete Program honors one football player at each university that is a member of the ACC and the American Athletic Conference – the two conferences that are represented in the Military Bowl college football game. These players are studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) subjects and/or aspire to STEM careers.
"3M is excited to recognize these outstanding students pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields," said Skip Driessen, Director of 3M Government Markets. "We know how hard these scholar-athletes have worked on the field and in the classroom and look forward to their continued success."
The Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athletes from the ACC are:
- Boston College defensive back Jamareeh Jones, a redshirt freshman who is majoring in human centered engineering.
- Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy, a junior who is a construction sciences major.
- Duke punter Jackson Hubbard, who graduated with a degree in computer science and a double minor in statistic science and economics. He is pursuing a master's degree in electrical and computer engineering.
- Florida State offensive lineman Kayden Lyles, who graduated with a degree in industrial engineering and is pursuing a master's degree in mechanical engineering.
- Georgia Tech defensive back Jaylon King, a redshirt junior majoring in civil engineering.
- Louisville tight end Duane Martin, a sophomore majoring in health and human performance/exercise science.
- Miami offensive lineman Zion Nelson, a redshirt junior who is majoring in computer science fundamentals with a minor in sports administration.
- North Carolina defensive lineman Kaimon Rucker, a junior psychology major who aspires to become a sports psychologist.
- N.C. State punter Shane McDonough, a graduate student who is pursuing a second degree in agricultural business management.
- Notre Dame wide receiver Matt Salerno, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering.
- Pittsburgh kicker Sam Scarton, an All-ACC player and a mechanical engineering major who is on track to graduate after the fall semester.
- Syracuse defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu, a graduate student who is pursuing a master's degree in applied data science.
- Virginia offensive lineman Zach Teter, a junior biology major who aspires to become a physician assistant.
- Virginia Tech linebacker Dax Hollifield, a senior who is majoring in human nutrition, foods and exercise and aspires to attend medical school and become either a nutritionist or a strength and conditioning coach.
- Wake Forest wide receiver Taylor Morin, a redshirt sophomore majoring in engineering with a double minor in entrepreneurship and mathematics.
- Cincinnati offensive lineman Lorenz Metz, a redshirt senior majoring in industrial management.
- East Carolina linebacker Myles Berry, a senior majoring in industrial distribution and logistics.
- Houston kicker Kyle Ramsey, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering.
- Memphis wide receiver Koby Drake, a redshirt sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.
- Navy defensive back Eavan Gibbons, a junior majoring in ocean engineering.
- SMU kicker/punter Brendan Hall, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.
- South Florida long snapper Bryce Bernard, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.
- Temple cornerback Nate Wyatt, a redshirt sophomore majoring in kinesiology.
- Tulane offensive lineman Sincere Haynesworth, a senior majoring in psychology.
- Tulsa defensive back Bryson Powers, who graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and is now pursing an MBA.
- UCF long snapper Alex Ward, a redshirt senior majoring in mechanical engineering.
CONTACT: Josh Barr, jbarr@militarybowl.org
About the Military Bowl presented by Peraton
The Military Bowl presented by Peraton, benefiting the USO is the National Capital Region's college football postseason bowl game broadcast on ESPN and featuring a matchup between teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. Organized by the Military Bowl Foundation, the Bowl's mission is to benefit our nation's service members including a partnership with USO-Metro and the operation of Patriot Point, a 294-acre retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers on Maryland's Eastern Shore. For the latest updates, visit militarybowl.org, follow @MilitaryBowl on Twitter and Instagram and like Military Bowl on Facebook! The 2022 Military Bowl kicks off on December 28 at 2 pm ET.
About the Military Bowl Foundation
The Military Bowl Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates premier events in the National Capital Region to benefit our nation's service members. Originally formed to create the region's first-ever college football postseason bowl game, the Foundation now not only runs the Military Bowl presented by Peraton but additionally operates the DC Touchdown Club and Patriot Point, a retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The Foundation hosts engaging events throughout the year to raise money and awareness for military service members, directly impacting those who give so much of themselves for the country.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $30 billion in sales, our 90,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to the world's problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews. 3M supports initiatives that advance equitable STEM and business outcomes for under-represented and under-resourced populations by increasing STEM exposure through classroom experiences and afterschool and extracurricular activities, supporting experiential learning experiences and investing in teacher professional development and build a pipeline of diverse STEM teachers.
Players Mentioned
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