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KENT, Ohio — The Kent State football program handed out its various specialty spring awards and named its captains for the 2010 campaign at halftime of the annual Spring Game held Friday evening at Dix Stadium.
The awards are as follows:
- Jack Lambert Cup (Most Improved, Defense) — Dorian Wood (LB, Austell, Ga.)
The Jack Lambert Cup is presented annually to the most improved defensive player, as selected by the coaching staff, at the conclusion of spring practice. Instituted in 1984, the award is named in honor of Jack Lambert, former All-Pro middle linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers who is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Lambert was a two-time unanimous All-Mid-American Conference selection at Kent State (1972-73) and led the Golden Flashes to the school’s first MAC championship and the 1972 Tangerine Bowl.
- Don Nottingham Cup (Most Improved, Offense) — Sam Kirkland (WR, Chesapeake, Va.)
The Don Nottingham Cup is presented annually to the most improved offensive player, as selected by the coaching staff, at the conclusion of spring practice. Instituted in 1984, the award is named in honor of Don Nottingham, former fullback for the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins. Nottingham, a member of the Dolphins’ 1973 Super Bowl championship team, was a fullback for Kent State from 1968-70 who earned the nickname “The Human Bowling Ball.” Nottingham is Kent State’s fifth all-time leading rusher with 2,515 yards.
- Matt Ramser Award (Courage & Commitment) — Eugene Jarvis (RB, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Each year the Kent State football program honors the memory of Matt Ramser, a former scholarship winner who battled cancer for more than two years, with an award given annually in the spring. The award is given to a member of the football program who best exemplifies the qualities of “courage, dedication, attitude and commitment” that Ramser did in his fight with the disease that claimed his life on Jan. 15, 1992. In addition the staff has designated the Matt Ramser Award as one that recognizes the greatest improvement in spring drills. After receiving a football scholarship from Kent State in February 1989, Ramser was diagnosed with cancer in May of that same year.
- Leo E. Strang Award (Highest GPA) — Michael Fay (OL, Allentown, Pa.)
The Leo E. Strang Student-Athlete Award was instituted in 1998. Named in honor of former Kent State head football coach Leo Strang (1964-67), the award honors the KSU football upperclassman with the highest cumulative grade point average.
- Read Award (Dedication Beyond the Call of Duty) — Brian Lainhart (S, Cincinnati, Ohio)
The newest spring award is the Gerald and Victoria Read Award, which was first presented in 2002 and goes to the player who exemplifies hard work and dedication beyond the call of duty.
In addition to awards, senior running back Eugene Jarvis, sophomore quarterback Spencer Keith, senior free safety Brian Lainhart and senior linebacker Cobrani Mixon were named captains for the 2010 season in voting conducted amongst the players. All but Keith were captains in 2009, while this is the fourth consecutive year that Jarvis has been named a captain.
The Golden Flashes open the 2010 campaign Thursday, Sept. 2 against Murray State in Dix Stadium.
Courtesy of KSU Athletics |
