LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Jackson Woodard's final honor earned from the Mountain West was also his biggest as the former star linebacker has become only the third Rebel from any sport to be named Mountain West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Wednesday.
Woodard, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, closed out his stellar collegiate playing career with multiple All-America honors after pushing his team to its best season ever, including an 11-3 record, its first national ranking and first bowl victory in 24 years. In fact, the LA Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player ranked fourth in the nation with 135 total tackles, which is the third-most in UNLV single-season history. His four interceptions ranked 19th in the country and he totaled 16 passes defended, 17.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles for the Rebels. He started his senior season by being named national defensive player of the week by both Walter Camp and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy after his performance in an opening win at Houston. He eventually tied a school record by winning MW Defensive Player of the Week three times last fall.
Woodard's career accolades from the classroom were even more stunning as the two-time team captain was twice voted First Team Academic All-America by the Collegiate Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) to go with a pair of Academic All-MW and MW Scholar-Athlete honors. Woodard graduated with a bachelor's degree in May 2024 after maintaining a 3.77 GPA in kinesiology. On Monday, the league announced that Woodard was the first Rebel student-athlete and first football player from any member school to earn the Hal K. Rothman Sportsmanship Award. He was also on the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy and the team's nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team for his work off the field. In addition, Woodard was one of 20 semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.
Currently in training camp with the NFL's Houston Texans, Woodard was already the most decorated football player in program history, earning All-America status athletically, academically and for his community service. The 2024 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year was one of just 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy and received an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2024 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Class.
"I first want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," said Woodard. "I'm beyond grateful to win this incredible award. I want to thank all of my coaches and teammates for always pushing me to be better on and off the field. I'm also very thankful for (UNLV Assistant AD for Academic Services)
David Wedley. He is much more than an academic advisor who helped me reach my potential in the classroom and in life. I am forever thankful for my time at UNLV and Las Vegas will always be a second home. Go Rebels!"
Woodard joins a pair of Rebel football lettermen in having earned the major MW award: fellow NFL linebacker
Austin Ajiake, currently with the Indianapolis Colts, won the award in 2023 and former standout offensive lineman
John Greer took home the honor in 2001.
Established by the Mountain West Joint Council in 1999, the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is the highest honor presented by the conference. The award is bestowed annually to the man and woman who best exemplify the term student-athlete by achieving excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement. In addition to athletic achievement, recipients of the MW Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average, demonstrate leadership, and exhibit good character and conduct on and off the playing field. Each honoree will receive a $2,500 postgraduate scholarship.
This year's female winner was UNR softball catcher
Aaliyah Jenkins. Two former Rebel greats – golfer
Therese Koelbaek (2010) and tennis player
Katarina Malec (2000) -- were UNLV's Mountain West Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year winners.
