Harvard freshman right tackle Will Whitman doesn’t have much in common with Jerry Rice.
But the Lexington, Ky., native does share one similarity with the greatest wide receiver of all time—both established themselves playing for FCS schools, and for that, Whitman has the chance to be honored in the wideout’s name.
Last week, the rookie was mentioned on the watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the most outstanding freshman player in the Football Championship Subdivision. This is the first time the honor, presented by The Sports Network, is being awarded.
The trophy is named for Rice, the Hall of Fame receiver who was an FCS (then Division I-AA) star at Mississippi Valley State University during his college days. Whitman and 17 other FCS rookies were named to the watch list for their contributions to similarly-small football programs.
The 6‘6”, 280-pound right tackle, one of the few freshman starting at that position in all of college football, was the only lineman on either side of the ball named to the watch list.
“We didn’t count on a freshman being able to come in and be able to hold his own against anybody,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “[But] the combination of experience and confidence has allowed [Whitman] play at a high level.”
In the Crimson’s first five games, Whitman played every snap and compiled 30 knockdowns in that span, including 10 in a single contest against Cornell. The freshman allowed just one sack over those contests, anchoring a Harvard offensive line and protecting two quarterbacks—junior Colton Chapple and senior Collier Winters—who have combined to throw 19 touchdowns with just five interceptions on the year.
“With any position, we grade you, just like on any test,” Murphy said. “His grade has gone up consistently.”
Princeton freshman running back Chuck Debilio, who rushed for 135 yards against the Crimson last week, was also named to the watch list.
The award will be presented at the national awards banquet on January 6 in Frisco, Texas, and Rice himself is expected to be on hand to present.
“I love to give back and it is amazing to be able to award a deserving freshman based on his accomplishments,” Rice said in a statement. “I think it’s important to recognize people at all levels for their hard work and dedication.”
