SHILLINGTON, Pa., Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its
37th year of honoring the nation's most elite high
school athletes, Gatorade today announced Nick Singleton of Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington, Pa. is the 2021-22 Gatorade
National Football Player of the Year. Singleton won the prestigious
award for his accomplishments on and off the field, joining an
impressive group of former Gatorade National Football Players of
the Year who have combined for six NFL MVPs awards, 31 Pro Bowl
appearances, six NFL first round draft picks and two became Hall of
Famers.
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley virtually surprised
Singleton with the news, while his family, coaches and teammates
showed up with the trophy at school. Check out a video of the
announcement here.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic
excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and
exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field,
distinguishes Singleton as the nation's best high school football
player. The Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which
leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others to
evaluate candidates, selected Singleton from more than one million
other student-athletes who play high school football
nationwide.
Competition for the national award was fierce. Singleton topped
the list of state winners in football who collectively boast an
incredible list of accomplishments, including 34 with signed
National Letters of Intent to play football at Division I
colleges/universities, 36 who have volunteered for two or more
organizations and 36 with a GPA of 3.5 and above.
"Nick Singleton has every single
desirable trait at the running position," said Steve Wiltfong, Director of Football Recruiting
for 247Sports. "His combination of size, elite speed, elusiveness
and power is rare. There's a reason he's our top-ranked prospect at
the position. He has the ability to get tough yards and also hit
the home run. He's the type of athlete who could win the 100-meter
dash and the shot put in the same track meet. Nick is mature,
focused, hard-working and also has all the attributes coaches covet
as a student and leader. Tangibles. Intangibles. This young man has
it all."
The 6-foot, 215-pound senior running back rushed for 2,043 yards
and 41 touchdowns on 165 carries this past season, leading the
Mustangs (10-1) to the district championship game. Singleton also
caught four passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, and returned a
kickoff for another score. An All-State honoree, he has been
selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl. Singleton is ranked
as the nation's No. 1 running back recruit in the Class of 2022 by
247Sports. He averaged 13.2 yards per touch in 2021 and scored
every 3.89 touches.
Singleton has volunteered extensively as a coach for Bronco's
"Little Kids" football camps and practices. He is an avid
participant in Mifflin's elementary school literacy outreach
program and has donated his time as part of community cleanup
initiatives.
Singleton has maintained a 3.51 GPA in the classroom. He has
signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship
at Penn State University next fall.
"There's a reason the Gatorade Player of the Year award is the
most prestigious award in high school sports," said Gatorade Senior
Vice President and General Manager Brett
O'Brien. "Winners have to be just as impressive on the field
as they are in the classroom and in their community, so it's no
surprise Nick Singleton has earned
this honor as he continues to go above and beyond in all three
pillars of the award."
Each year, a selection committee evaluates the nation's top
talent to choose one state winner from each of the 50 states as
well as Washington D.C., in 12
different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross
country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and
girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In all, 608
athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one
national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports.
Gatorade has a long-standing history of serving athlete
communities and understands how sports instill valuable lifelong
skills on and off the field. Since the program's inception in 1985,
Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of
professional and college championships, and many have also turned
into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business
owners and educators. Previous winners include a distinguished list
of athletes, such as Peyton Manning,
Abby Wambach, Jayson Tatum, Elena
Delle Donne and many other sports icons.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program,
check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit
playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on
Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at
instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
PREVIOUS GATORADE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS
|
YEAR
|
NAME
|
HOMETOWN
|
STATUS
|
2020-21
|
Jaxson
Dart
|
Draper, UT
|
University of
Southern California
|
2019-20
|
Arik
Gilbert
|
Marietta,
GA
|
University of
Georgia
|
2018-19
|
Jake Smith
|
Scottsdale,
AZ
|
University of
Southern California
|
2017-18
|
JT Daniels
|
Santa Ana,
CA
|
University of
Georgia
|
2016-17
|
Tate
Martell
|
Las Vegas,
NV
|
University of Nevada
Las Vegas
|
2015-16
|
Jacob
Eason
|
Lake Stevens,
WA
|
Seattle
Seahawks
|
2014-15
|
Kyler
Murray
|
Allen, TX
|
Arizona
Cardinals
|
2013-14
|
Andrew
Brown
|
Chesapeake,
VA
|
Los Angeles
Chargers
|
2012-13
|
Max Browne
|
Sammamish,
WA
|
Played for University
of Pittsburgh
|
2011-12
|
Johnathan
Gray
|
Aledo, TX
|
Frisco
Fighters
|
2010-11
|
Justin
Worley
|
Rock Hill,
SC
|
Retired from Chicago
Bears
|
2009-10
|
Malcolm
Jones
|
Westlake Village,
CA
|
Played for University
of California Los Angeles
|
2008-09
|
Garrett
Gilbert
|
Austin, TX
|
New England
Patriots
|
2007-08
|
Matt
Barkley
|
Santa Ana,
CA
|
Tennessee
Titans
|
2006-07
|
John
Brantley
|
Ocala, FL
|
Retired from
Baltimore Ravens
|
2005-06
|
Mitch
Mustain
|
Springdale,
AR
|
Retired from San
Antonio Talons (AFL)
|
2004-05
|
Greg
Paulus
|
Syracuse,
NY
|
Played for Syracuse
University
|
2003-04
|
Jeff Byers
|
Loveland,
CO
|
Retired from Carolina
Panthers
|
2002-03
|
Kyle
Wright
|
Danville,
CA
|
Retired from San
Francisco 49ers
|
2001-02
|
Lorenzo
Booker
|
Ventura,
CA
|
Retired from Chicago
Bears
|
2000-01
|
Joe Mauer
|
St. Paul,
MN
|
Retired from
Minnesota Twins
|
1999-00
|
Brock
Berlin
|
Shreveport,
LA
|
Retired from Detroit
Lions
|
1998-99
|
Chris
Lewis
|
Long Beach,
CA
|
Played for Stanford
University
|
1997-98
|
Ronald
Curry
|
Hampton,
VA
|
Retired from St.
Louis Rams
|
1996-97
|
Travis
Minor
|
Baton Rouge,
LA
|
Retired from St.
Louis Rams
|
1995-96
|
Tim Couch
|
Hyden, KY
|
Retired from
Cleveland Browns
|
1994-95
|
Brock
Huard
|
Puyallup,
WA
|
Retired from Seattle
Seahawks
|
1993-94
|
Peyton
Manning
|
New Orleans,
LA
|
Retired from Denver
Broncos
|
1992-93
|
Ron Powlus
|
Berwick,
PA
|
Retired from
Philadelphia Eagles
|
1991-92
|
Chris
Walsh
|
St. Paul,
MN
|
Retired from
Minnesota Vikings
|
1990-91
|
Marquette
Smith
|
Lake Howell,
FL
|
Retired from Carolina
Panthers
|
1989-90
|
Robert
Smith
|
Euclid, OH
|
Retired from
Minnesota Vikings
|
1988-89
|
Terry
Kirby
|
Tabb, VA
|
Retired from Oakland
Raiders
|
1987-88
|
Curtis
Bray
|
Monroeville,
PA
|
Deceased
|
1986-87
|
Emmitt
Smith
|
Pensacola,
FL
|
Retired from Arizona
Cardinals
|
1985-86
|
Jeff
George
|
Indianapolis,
IN
|
Retired from Oakland
Raiders
|
About Gatorade
The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets
the needs of consumers who participate in Sports and Fitness,
through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve
and Bolt24. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep
understanding of the unique needs and occasions of different types
of sports and fitness. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is
underpinned by more than 50-year history of studying the best
athletes in the world and sports-nutrition research by the Gatorade
Sport Science Institute, allowing it to provide
scientifically-formulated products that meet athletes' needs both
on and off the field. For more information and a full list of
products, please visit www.gatorade.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion
times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the
world. PepsiCo generated more than $70
billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary
food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade,
Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product
portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages,
including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail
sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning
with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the
marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business
strategy and brands. For more information, visit
www.pepsico.com.
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SOURCE The Gatorade Company