Cardinal football players at the NFF annual awards dinner. From left to right, head coach Tony Verducci, Josh Ammon, Drew Smith, Nigel Bullard, and School chaplain, Fr. Edward Bresnehan
Drew Smith, Bishop Ireton’s record-breaking wide receiver, was selected by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame as the National Capital Region’s top scholar-athlete for 2015. Smith, along with teammates Josh Ammon and Nigel Bullard, was among 25 nominees feted at a dinner at the Army-Navy Country Club on April 19, 2015. The National Capital Region Chapter includes more than 125 schools in the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland. Smith, one of five student-athletes awarded a $1,000 scholarship, was recognized as the Student-Athlete of the Year and the Chapter’s nominee for the Foundation’s Eastern Region Award. He becomes the the second Cardinal, first since Andrew Rodriguez in 2008, to be the Chapter’s Eastern Region nominee. Bishop Ireton is one of only three schools to have student-athletes feted in each of the Chapter’s first nine years.
Drew, who arrived at Bishop Ireton without the benefit of any “organized” football experience, has been a model of excellence and consistency on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The Foundation scholar-athlete program considers football achievements (40%), academic excellence (40%) and citizenship (20%) in evaluating nominees. Drew led the Cardinals to the 2014 Virginia Independent School Athletic Association Championship Game, catching a school-record 57 passes for more than 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was selected first team all-state and ranked in the top 7 in all wide receiver categories in the Washington Post. Drew served as a member of the football team’s Leadership Council, was honored as team Most Valuable Player and was a team captain as well. Drew has maintained a “straight A” academic average throughout his four years at Bishop Ireton, earning the prestigious Marguerite Scafati Academic Award and a host of other academic honors. He has served as a Kairos leader, serves as an usher at his parish and has served volunteer hours at a senior center and at Christ House in Alexandria. Drew recently committed to attending Villanova University and playing football for the Wildcats. He plans to major in Business and Finance.
Josh Ammon and Nigel Bullard, stalwarts on the Cardinal defense in 2013 and 2014, were also honored by the Foundation. Josh was a two-time All VISAA linebacker, earning first team honors in 2014. He led the team in tackles for his two years in Alexandria, maintained a grade point average above 3.0 and will attend Hobart – William Smith College next year. Josh is the Statesmen’s top linebacker recruit. Nigel Bullard has been an exceptional teammate, defensive end and student since he arrived at Bishop Ireton two years ago. His 19 tackles against Benedictine in the VISAA championship game were a team high in 2014 and he was honored as a second-team all-state defensive lineman. Nigel has maintained a grade point average above 3.9 and, like Drew Smith, is a member of the National Honor Society. Nigel recently decided to attend Penn State University where he plan to major in Biomedical Engineering.
Drew, Josh and Nigel are among fifteen Bishop Ireton football players who have been honored by the National Football Foundation as student-athletes during Coach Tony Verducci’s leadership of the program.
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