Tigers' Football Standout Tabbed for ODAC/Farm Bureau Honor
SALEM, Va. --- Hampden-Sydney College gridiron
standout, Josh Miller, is one of eight student-athletes from Old
Dominion Athletic Conference member schools to earn a 2009
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award during the fall
athletic schedule. Miller, who tied with Washington and Lee
University's Greg Kurkis for the award, was tabbed from a pool of
nominees by a vote of each of the conference's sports information
directors.
The ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award is given to a
student-athlete in each of the conference's 22 sponsored
sports. Farm Bureau Insurance of Virginia is the presenter of
each of the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards,
forming a partnership with the ODAC to emphasize the NCAA Division
III philosophy of the complete student-athlete experience. To
be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a
sophomore standing and have spent at least one full academic year
at the nominating institution, must maintain at least a 3.2
cumulative grade point average, and must have participated in at
least 50-percent of the team's events.
"It's a great honor to be recognized by the SID's and other schools
around the conference for athletic accomplishments as well as
academic ones," explained Miller in a phone interview. "My
family has always made academics a really important aspect of my
brothers and sisters and my career in college, so it's a really
great feeling to be honored for all of the hard work that's been
put in."
Miller, a senior from Stephens City, Virginia, stars as a history
and religion major in the classroom and as a linebacker on the
Tigers' football team. A six-time honoree on the H-SC Dean's
List, Miller boasts a 3.85 grade point average. He was named
to the 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First
Team, and went on to earn a spot on the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-America Second Team. He is a member of the
Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society and is a
three-time Academic All-ODAC honoree.
On the field, Miller helped lead the Tigers to the 2009 ODAC title
and the program's first undefeated season since 1971. He
finished third on the team and 12th in the ODAC with 71
total tackles this past season, registering 11.5 tackles for a loss
and 3.0 sacks. His performance can only be outdone by his
durability as he played in each game possible during his
career.
"One of the interesting parallels between football and class is
that there are times in both that you just have to put your head to
the grindstone and maybe do some extra things that will make you
successful. I think they both require discipline and that is
what has helped me be successful in both."
For more information about the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance
Scholar-Athlete Awards, visit the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.