Justin Crooks Selected As Recipient of the Mike Singletary Award
The Baylor Chamber of Commerce has announced senior Justin Crooks as the recipient of the Mike Singletary Award for the 2004 football season.
Singletary played football for Baylor 1977 to 1980, and was a two-time unanimous All-American. He was also Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Decade for the 1980s. He was inducted to both the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. As he brought skill and power to the position of linebacker, Singletary brought dedication and excellence to the classroom.
To honor the legacy of Singletary, the Baylor Chamber of Commerce established the Mike Singletary Award in 1980. The award was to be "given by the student body to the senior player who has brought honor and recognition to Baylor through his actions both on and off the field." The award was first given to Walter Abercrombie in 1981.
"I would have to say that having my name on something alongside players like Mike Singletary, Walter Abercrombie, James Francis, Santana Dotson and Thomas Everett presents the biggest honor that I have received since playing at Baylor. My peers elected me to win this award, and they are the people that I played for, so that is very humbling as well. Playing college football was the most awesome experience I have ever had, but playing for Baylor University was even more so," said Crooks on winning the award.
This is the first time the award has been presented since 2000. The Baylor student body voted online through the Baylor Information Network from April 25 to April 27. All senior football players were eligible and listed on the ballot.
For more information on the Mike Singletary Award, contact Jonathan Ellzey, Mike Singletary award coordinator, at 710-3322.