Mark Jetton, a senior defensive end from Charlotte, N.C., is among 184 semi-finalists for the 2005 Draddy Trophy, considered one of the top academic honors for college football players. The award is sponsored by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. It is known in many circles as the “Academic Heisman,” recognizing an individual for academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. Each school is allowed to nominate one player who has a GPA of at least 3.0 and has demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Finalists for the award will be announced Oct. 27, with the winner named Dec. 6.
Jetton earned a red-shirt at Clemson University in 2001 and appeared in three contests on the Tigers’ offensive line in 2002 before transferring to Elon. The three-year letterman was a regular starter for the Phoenix as a defensive end in 2003 and as a defensive tackle in 2004 and 2005. To date, Jetton has appeared in 34 college football games while starting 30 throughout his career.
Jetton has a 3.42 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in business administration with a concentration in management. He will graduate next May and is currently applying to law schools for next fall. The two-time TIAA-CREF Academic All-Southern Conference honoree has appeared on the Dean’s List four times, the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll five times and the Southern Conference Honor Roll twice. Last year, he was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society.
A team captain the past two seasons, Jetton is serving as a football mentor during the 2005-06 academic year. He was a football recruit host at both Clemson and Elon. During his time at Elon, Jetton has been a hospital volunteer, an intramural softball team captain, an elementary school mentor and an Adopt-a-Highway Program participant. He is a mentor to freshmen this year.