FWAA News from Mike Liotta News

Virginia running back Mike Hollins is the 22nd annual recipient of the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Hollins survived the 2022 shootings that took the lives of three of his UVA teammates and played in 11 games this fall for the Cavaliers, leading the team in rushing touchdowns.

Washington’s Zion Tupuola-Fetui is this week’s nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Tupuola-Fetui, a senior, made several crucial plays in leading the Huskies to a win Saturday at USC just days after his father passed away.

Vanderbilt’s De’Rickey Wright is this week’s nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Wright, a senior, lost his mother in 2020 and has fought through both football and injury concerns to be on the brink of becoming the first person from his family to graduate from college.

Notre Dame’s Audric Estimé is this week’s nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Estime', a junior, has become one of the nation’s top running backs after losing his mother to sickle cell anemia.

UCLA’s Laiatu Latu is this week’s nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Latu, a senior, has recovered from neck surgery to become a dominant defensive force for the 25th-ranked Bruins.

Texas Tech’s Bryce Ramirez is this week’s nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Ramirez, a senior linebacker, has recovered from a compound leg fracture suffered last year to play in all six games for the Red Raiders this season. 

Hawaii’s Karsyn Pupunu is this week’s nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Pupunu, a native of Lahaina, Maui, lost four family members in the August wildfire in Maui, which was the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.

Navy’s Xavier McDonald is this week’s nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. McDonald, a senior, has overcome a challenging upbringing in St. Petersburg, Fla., to earn a Service Academy appointment.

Virginia's Mike Hollins is the first weekly nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Hollins, a graduate student, has played in all three games for the Cavaliers this season after surviving the Nov. 13, 2022 shootings that took the lives of three of his UVA teammates.

Oregon tight end Cam McCormick is the 21st annual recipient of the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. McCormick bounced back from multiple season-ending injuries and overcame several family and personal struggles to play in every game for the No. 15 Ducks this season, his seventh with the program.

Roosevelt University coach Jared Williamson is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Williamson was seriously injured in a car accident in October, resulting in several broken bones and multiple surgeries.

Ohio State’s Kamryn Babb is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Babb, a fifth-year graduate student, played for the first time since the 2020 season Saturday vs. Indiana, caught his first collegiate pass and scored his first career touchdown after undergoing four different knee surgeries.

North Carolina’s Tylee Craft is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Craft, a junior wide receiver, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer earlier this year but has been heavily involved with the football program while sharing his journey with the public to raise awareness for the disease.

Oregon’s Cam McCormick is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. McCormick, a seventh-year tight end, has overcome multiple season-ending injuries that have caused him to miss the majority of four seasons and has faced several personal struggles on his way to becoming an integral contributor for the No. 8 Ducks.

Florida A&M’s James Spady is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Spady, the Rattlers’ tight ends coach, returned to the practice field last week after suffering a medical episode in the season opener that caused him to temporarily lose his vision.

North Dakota State College of Science defensive lineman Ray Ruschel is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Despite being nearly 50 years old, Ruschel has the courage to go out and play football against players 30 years his junior while working on a degree.

Marshall’s André Sam is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Sam has battled with stuttering for most of his life, becoming a role model for young people who have speech impediments.

Navy’s Terrell and Joshua Adams are this week’s nominees for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. The twin brothers lost both their mother and their grandmother in consecutive days last season.

Eastern Kentucky coach Walt Wells is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Wells suffered a cardiac episode in late August, before returning to coach the Colonels in their third game of the season.

Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. is this week’s nominee for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Penix, a fifth-year senior, has established himself as an early season Heisman Trophy candidate after suffering season-ending injuries in each of his previous four campaigns.