The award is a postgraduate scholarship program designed to encourage excellence in academic performance by student-athletes.
The recipients each year are the one male and one female student-athlete who has combined the best elements of mind and body to achieve national distinction for his or her achievements, and who promises to be a future leader in his or her chosen field of career service.
Awards from other sources will not disqualify an applicant, except that an awardee may not use more than one NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
[5] Among the most recognized for post-athletic career accomplishments are Randal Pinkett and Rob Pelinka.
Of the winners the one most notable for having gone professional in his or her sport is National Football League veteran Rob Zatechka, who later went on to medical school.