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Nebraska Football’s Isaac Gifford Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Watch list season continues with a Nebraska defender being added to one for a trophy that highlights athletic and community service accomplishments.

Kaleb Henry

Nov 11, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Isaac Gifford (2) celebrates after an interception against the Maryland Terrapins during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium.
Nov 11, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Isaac Gifford (2) celebrates after an interception against the Maryland Terrapins during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
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Watch list season continues to roll on with Nebraska football getting another player highlighted.

Husker defensive back Isaac Gifford was named Thursday to the 2024 to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. The Wuerffel Trophy highlights athletic and community service accomplishments.

Gifford has been active in the Huskers’ Life Skills program, including volunteering extensively at the Lincoln Food Bank, speaking at schools and helping with hospital visits and the Huskers’ annual road race to race money for the fight against pediatric brain cancer. For his efforts, he received the Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award last spring. He was also named to the Tom Osborne and Brook Berringer Citizenship Teams for his work in the community.

Nebraska Cornhuskers safety Isaac Gifford speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers safety Isaac Gifford speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

On the field, Gifford is a two-year starter who has anchored the Huskers’ defensive backfield. An All-Big Ten performer in 2023, he led Nebraska with 86 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss. Gifford was also second on the Blackshirts with eight pass breakups. He played a major role in Nebraska ranking in the top-20 nationally in both total defense and scoring defense.

This season, the 11 semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy will be honored as part of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

The 2024 Wuerffel Trophy finalists and recipient will be selected by an illustrious national voting committee, including a fan vote component, and announced on ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec.12.  The Wuerffel Trophy Presentation Gala will take place Feb. 1 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

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Kaleb Henry

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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