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Nov. 26—Dean Janikowski didn’t get the news until shortly after Tuesday’s Washington State practice, which took place in the new Taylor Sports Complex, thanks to temperatures dipping into the 30s as November rolls along.
He’s one of three finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, which goes to the college football player who best exemplifies community service, academic excellence and athletic performance.
“It’s a huge honor,” Janikowski said. “I remember being young and seeing that award, and it’s a huge honor, especially just all the work that we put in, giving to the community. It’s cool to be given that recognition. It’s a really honorable award, and we’re super pumped about it.”
Janikowski, the Cougars’ sixth-year kicker, has earned the recognition in large part through the Heather Janikowski Foundation in honor of his late mother, raising more than $150,000 to support cancer research and patients. Since arriving at WSU, he has launched the “More Than a Kick” and “Kicking Cancer” initiatives, encouraging donations for each field goal and extra point he makes.
Janikowski has stayed busy organizing fundraising events like the Do it For Her 5K and Monserrate Memorial Hike, donating to people in need and using his platform to support cancer patients in his community.
The winner will be announced live on an awards show on ESPN on Dec. 12. The recipient will also be formally honored at a gala in February at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Before then, Janikowski will wrap up his time playing at Gesa Field — Martin Stadium when he joined the WSU program as a preferred walk-on in 2019 — when the Cougs host Wyoming on Saturday afternoon.
Bowl-bound WSU will still get another several weeks of practice and a bowl game, but it amounts to the end of a long career in Pullman for Janikowski.
After some struggles early in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wsu-kicker-dean-janikowski-being-045900476.html
Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Publish date : 2024-11-27 04:59:00
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