Carey Spear Named a Finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy

Carey Spear may be an All-SEC kicker, but his dedication to helping others may outshine his heroics on the field.

Spear was named one of 12 finalists for the 2013 Wuerffel Trophy on Tuesday. The Wuerffel Trophy, named after former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, is an annual award for the college football player who best combines athletic, academic, and community service achievement. Spear joined players like Georgia's Aaron Murray and Illinois's Nathan Scheelhaase on the list of finalists.

The award is Spear's second of the 2013 season. He was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team this October for his commitment to community service. Allstate lauded his efforts, which included:

§ Spending spring break on mission trips in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Spear visited Mexico, Haiti and Peru to lead camps and work on the construction and maintenance of orphanages.

§ Visiting with patients at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to raise patients’ spirits.

§ Mentoring adults at Safe Harbor of Nashville through a recovery program that aims to keep adult men drug and alcohol free. Spear worked with several of the program’s clients as a volunteer mentor.

The Wuerffel Trophy administrators also noted his volunteerism through Crosspoint Church over the past two years.

The recognition is another great honor for a Commodore athlete who has proven to be of extremely high character. Between his play on the field and his commitment to others off of it, Spear will go down as one of the best overall student-athletes to call Dudley Field home.