From K-State Athletics
One day after being named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, Kansas State senior right tackle Dalton Risner added another line to his off-the-field resume on Thursday by being named a semifinalist for the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy, the All Sports Association of Fort Walton Beach (FL) announced.
Risner is one of 12 players to be named a semifinalist for the “nation’s premier award for community service” and the lone player from the Big 12 on the list. He is the first Wildcat ever to earn semifinalist status for the award.
A product of Wiggins, Colorado, Risner’s inclusion on the award adds to his impressive list of accolades. Aside from being named a National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the Campbell Trophy on Wednesday, Risner has also been named to the Allstate/American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team and a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award.
Risner, a 2017 First Team All-American and 2018 Midseason All-American by multiple outlets, has made it a priority to make a positive impact on those in the community. He has taken it to another level by starting the RiseUp Foundation, which has started in both a blog and v-log form to “encourage everyone to RISE above the evil and sin in this world and be a positive shining light in the lives of others.” The ultimate goal for the foundation is to motivate people through his words and actions, through his stories and his relationships.
He also visits Buttonwood Special Needs Home and has bonded with one member in particular, Mike, by spending time about once per week. He is also a Big Brother to Kayden, who was battling leukemia but is in remission. After originally meeting in April, Risner and Kayden have spent time together on multiple occasions.
