Demon Deacon Legends Duncan, Grant Garner NCAA Honors
1/10/2022 3:04:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Basketball
Tim Duncan (Silver Anniversary Award) and Robert Grant (Inspiration Award) have been selected by the NCAA Honors Committee to win these annual awards.
INDIANAPOLIS – Wake Forest legends, Tim Duncan and Bob Grant, have been selected as the 2022 NCAA Silver Anniversary and Inspiration Award recipients, as announced by the NCAA Honors Committee on Monday.
"This is an exciting day for Wake Forest University to have two legends earn national recognition for their accomplishments by the NCAA," director of athletics John Currie said. "I am grateful that these legends are receiving this national recognition for their hard work and accomplishments on the court, field and in the community over the course of their careers!"
Duncan and Grant will be honored at an event at the annual NCAA Convention next week on Jan. 19. Wake Forest is just the third school in Atlantic Coast Conference history to ever have two honorees in the same year.
These two legends join Wake Forest's previous NCAA honors recipients Amy Privett Perko (2012, Silver) and Arnold Palmer (1983, Theodore Roosevelt).
Here is a list of complete yearly winners by the NCAA.
Tim Duncan - Silver Anniversary Award
Wake Forest alumnus Tim Duncan (Class of 1997) was inducted as a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and became the first Demon Deacon to be enshrined in Springfield. One of the greatest players in NBA history, Duncan was a 15-time all-star during his 19-year career with the San Antonio Spurs. The 2002 and 2003 NBA MVP and 1998 NBA Rookie of the Year, he led the Spurs to five NBA Championships. He ranks 14th in NBA history with 26,496 career points, sixth in NBA history with 15,091 career rebounds and fifth in NBA history with 3,020 career blocks.
Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan was the consensus national player of the year during his senior season with the Demon Deacons. A two-time first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year, he holds the ACC record with 481 career blocks, while ranking second in Wake Forest history with 1,570 career rebounds and fourth in Wake Forest history with 2,117 career points. His No. 21 jersey is retired by both the Demon Deacons and the Spurs.
Previously, Duncan was elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Robert Grant - Inspiration Award
Bob Grant enrolled at Wake Forest in 1964 and played under head coach Bill Tate. He was one of three African-Americans to join the team that year, making Wake Forest the first major Division I school to integrate its intercollegiate athletics program in the South.
While at Wake Forest, Grant lettered from 1965-67 and was named first team All-ACC as a defensive lineman in 1966. In 1968 he was the 50th overall pick in the NFL Draft, taken in the second round by the Baltimore Colts. He would eventually play in Super Bowl III, one of the most storied football games in NFL history, and later won a ring in Super Bowl V in 1971 when the Colts beat the Dallas Cowboys, 16-13.
Wake Forest recently honored Grant and his teammate, Kenneth "Butch" Henry with an award in their namesake for the courage they displayed 50 years ago.
"This is an exciting day for Wake Forest University to have two legends earn national recognition for their accomplishments by the NCAA," director of athletics John Currie said. "I am grateful that these legends are receiving this national recognition for their hard work and accomplishments on the court, field and in the community over the course of their careers!"
Duncan and Grant will be honored at an event at the annual NCAA Convention next week on Jan. 19. Wake Forest is just the third school in Atlantic Coast Conference history to ever have two honorees in the same year.
These two legends join Wake Forest's previous NCAA honors recipients Amy Privett Perko (2012, Silver) and Arnold Palmer (1983, Theodore Roosevelt).
Here is a list of complete yearly winners by the NCAA.
Tim Duncan - Silver Anniversary Award
Wake Forest alumnus Tim Duncan (Class of 1997) was inducted as a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and became the first Demon Deacon to be enshrined in Springfield. One of the greatest players in NBA history, Duncan was a 15-time all-star during his 19-year career with the San Antonio Spurs. The 2002 and 2003 NBA MVP and 1998 NBA Rookie of the Year, he led the Spurs to five NBA Championships. He ranks 14th in NBA history with 26,496 career points, sixth in NBA history with 15,091 career rebounds and fifth in NBA history with 3,020 career blocks.
Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan was the consensus national player of the year during his senior season with the Demon Deacons. A two-time first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year, he holds the ACC record with 481 career blocks, while ranking second in Wake Forest history with 1,570 career rebounds and fourth in Wake Forest history with 2,117 career points. His No. 21 jersey is retired by both the Demon Deacons and the Spurs.
Previously, Duncan was elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Robert Grant - Inspiration Award
Bob Grant enrolled at Wake Forest in 1964 and played under head coach Bill Tate. He was one of three African-Americans to join the team that year, making Wake Forest the first major Division I school to integrate its intercollegiate athletics program in the South.
While at Wake Forest, Grant lettered from 1965-67 and was named first team All-ACC as a defensive lineman in 1966. In 1968 he was the 50th overall pick in the NFL Draft, taken in the second round by the Baltimore Colts. He would eventually play in Super Bowl III, one of the most storied football games in NFL history, and later won a ring in Super Bowl V in 1971 when the Colts beat the Dallas Cowboys, 16-13.
Wake Forest recently honored Grant and his teammate, Kenneth "Butch" Henry with an award in their namesake for the courage they displayed 50 years ago.
- Robert Grant and Kenneth "Butch" Henry Trailblazer Award
- Award Information
- The Robert Grant and Kenneth "Butch" Henry Trailblazer Award was created to recognize the significance of the first Black football players at Wake Forest University and the historical role Wake Forest Athletics played in integrating Division I sports in the South. Being the first Black football players took Courage to take to the field on behalf of their teammates and the Wake Forest community, despite the risks. It took deep Faith to believe that their teammates, the coaching staff, and the Wake Forest community would offer steady support during critical times. As Transformational leaders, it took Trusting in their abilities, talents and tremendous fortitude to persevere, that would set trails, often not traveled, ablaze, lighting the way and leaving paths of success for all of the athletes yet to come in the south. Hence, this award celebrates Wake Forest student-athletes, alumni, staff and community members who have blazed trails in the areas of diversity, inclusion, equity and other important social issues that better the lives of others in the Pro Humanitate tradition that is the central spirit of Wake Forest University.
- Award Recipients
- Bob Grant and Butch Henry were on Nov. 13.
- Future year honorees must have had impactful accomplishments in areas of diversity, inclusion, equity and other social issues.
- There is no minimum or maximum number of honorees per year, and nominees (which can be sent to wfsports@wfu.edu) will be reviewed by the newly commissioned Trailblazer Award Committee.
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