Eleven-Time NFL Pro-Bowler Jason Witten
Surprised Arnold with Honor
DENTON,
Texas, Jan. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In its
38th year of honoring the nation's most elite high
school athletes, Gatorade today announced Jackson Arnold of John
H. Guyer High School in Denton,
Texas is the 2022-23 Gatorade National Football Player of
the Year. Arnold 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 more than six NFL MVPs awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, six NFL
first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.
Eleven-time NFL Pro-Bowler and former Dallas Cowboys tight end
Jason Witten surprised Arnold 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 Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes athletes not
just for their excellence on the playing surface, but for their
commitment in the classroom and impact in their community. Arnold
was selected from more than one million other student athletes who
play high school football nationwide, topping the list of state
winners in football who collectively boast an incredible list of
accomplishments, including 27 with signed National Letters of
Intent to play football at Division I colleges/universities and 32
with a GPA of 3.5 and above.
"This 2023 class is the 'year of the quarterback,' and there are
likely five signal-callers rated among the Top 15 prospects in the
country," says Greg Biggins,
national recruiting analyst for 247 Sports. "Arnold is in that
group and easily among the nation's best. He has the kind of skill
set that should make every Oklahoma fan
very excited, and it wouldn't shock us if he sees the field sooner
than later. He has a live, accurate arm and can put the ball
anywhere he wants. He's also a very capable runner and can stress a
defense with his arm or his legs. He's a tough kid who will stand
in and take a shot and never shies away from contact. He's also a
natural leader—a winner. And when you combine his on-the-field
prowess with his high-end academic background, he is a very
deserving choice for this honor."
Penn State running back and
2021-2022 Gatorade National Player of the Year Nick Singleton added: "Winning the Gatorade
National Football Player of the Year last year meant the world to
me as a high school athlete and student, and I'm thrilled to
welcome Jackson to the Gatorade Player of the Year Family."
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior quarterback led the Wildcats to a
14-1 record and a berth in the 6A-Division II semifinals. He
completed 231 of 336 pass attempts (69 percent) for 3,476 yards and
33 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Arnold averaged 10.4
yards per passing attempt, and he also rushed for 921 yards and 24
touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Arnold has served as a classroom aide to a math teacher as a
senior, and for the past three and a half years, he has been a
member and officer in the Texas Young Men's Service League, Lantana
Chapter, which offers opportunities for mothers and sons to perform
community service and philanthropic work; he has served as the
group's Vice President, Slating Chair and as a member of its Life
Skills committee.
Arnold has maintained a 4.5 weighted GPA in the classroom.
Taking advantage of NCAA early signing rules, Arnold inked a
financial-aid agreement that paved the way for him to enroll at the
University of Oklahoma, where he will
play football. He graduated from high school in December and will
attend classes in the spring semester.
In addition to excellence on and off the field of play, Gatorade
Players of the Year also pay it forward for the next generation. As
part of Gatorade's Play it Forward initiative, Arnold will receive
a grant to give to one of Gatorade's social impact partners –
Athlete Ally, Laureus USA, Move
United, Women's Sports Foundation and Up2Us Sports – supporting
Gatorade's ambition to fuel the future of sport.
"Winning Gatorade Player of the Year is an enormous
accomplishment, as it's reserved for the best and brightest high
school student-athletes," said Michael Del
Pozzo, president and general manager of Gatorade.
"Jackson Arnold is a role model for
future generations of student-athletes on how to be an all-around
leader in sport, in the classroom and in the community."
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.
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.
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 Fast Twitch. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep
understanding of the unique occasions and needs across athletic
activity. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by a
57-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 $79
billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary
beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's,
Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and
SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of
enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that
generate more than $1 billion each in
estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive
(pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts
sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will
create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries
and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more
information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
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SOURCE The Gatorade Company