TAMPA, Fla. – Arizona State University redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici was named the 2015 recipient of the Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award Wednesday night at the annual Premier Players of College Football Charitable Awards Dinner.
The Lee Roy Selmon Spirit Award recognizes athletes who go above the call of a student, amateur or professional athlete by demonstrating a deep care for others and their community. It honors athletes who show a love for others and a connection to the moral growth of their community.
“Giving back is near and dear to my heart,” Bercovici said. “There are so many ways to positively impact people in your life, and while my name is on the plaque, it’s about representing your university and your family. I have always been taught to use sports as a platform to spread good in my community, and that I can be the quarterback not only on the field, but off it as well. Playing only lasts so long, but you have a lifetime to make a difference.”
Bercovici graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management in May 2014 and is set to graduate this December from a Master’s of Sports Law and Business program that combines classes from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law and the W.P. Carey School of Business. He is a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, including a second-team selection in 2015, and has been a Scholar Baller, an honor given to a student-athlete who achieves a GPA of 3.0 or above, in 11 different semesters.
He was also recently named the Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is college football's premier scholar-athlete award and recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. He was also named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and was a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy, ‘College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service.’ The 30-person Senior CLASS Award recognizes student-athletes who excel both on and off the field, and have notable achievement in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. Fans can vote on the Senior CLASS Award through Dec. 14.
A team captain and member of the team’s leadership council for four consecutive season, as well as the newly created Influence Team, Bercovici is heavily involved in a number of community services initiatives and projects. On campus, he is a five-year member of ASU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has been an advocate for the Championship Life Program created by ASU. He helped put together a presentation with Jean Boyd and Drew Rosenhaus that is designed to help young student-athletes make the most of their time in school and ensure they set themselves up for a positive future. He has been instrumental in influencing his teammates and other student-athletes to become more involved in the community and routinely leads a contingent of student-athletes in community service and outreach events.
Bercovici has served as an ambassador the football program and Arizona State University on numerous occasions. He was a pace setter for kids’ portion of Pat’s Run, an annual race on ASU’s campus that honors the legacy and life of former Sun Devil linebacker Pat Tillman, spoke at the annual Tempe Chamber of Commerce Football Kickoff Luncheon, and attended the annual Pac-12 Football Media Day in Los Angeles. He is heavily involved in the Scholar Baller leadership and outreach program, which helps young people develop championship character, a strong sense of self-esteem and leadership attributes.
He has dedicated more than 50 hours at various kid’s camps and youth clinics throughout his career, including traveling back to his elementary school in Calabasas, Calif., to speak about the importance of attending college and earning a degree, and serving as a counselor at the Elite 11 quarterback camp in Oregon. He has committed another 50-plus hours in a number of visits during his five years at ASU, including multiple trips to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Carson Children’s Hospital in Mesa, as well as the Sunshine Acres Children’s Home, and multiple elementary and middle schools across the state, from Mesa to Gilbert to Phoenix.
The Lee Roy Selmon Spirit Award recognizes athletes who go above the call of a student, amateur or professional athlete by demonstrating a deep care for others and their community. It honors athletes who show a love for others and a connection to the moral growth of their community.
“Giving back is near and dear to my heart,” Bercovici said. “There are so many ways to positively impact people in your life, and while my name is on the plaque, it’s about representing your university and your family. I have always been taught to use sports as a platform to spread good in my community, and that I can be the quarterback not only on the field, but off it as well. Playing only lasts so long, but you have a lifetime to make a difference.”
Bercovici graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management in May 2014 and is set to graduate this December from a Master’s of Sports Law and Business program that combines classes from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law and the W.P. Carey School of Business. He is a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, including a second-team selection in 2015, and has been a Scholar Baller, an honor given to a student-athlete who achieves a GPA of 3.0 or above, in 11 different semesters.
He was also recently named the Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is college football's premier scholar-athlete award and recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. He was also named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and was a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy, ‘College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service.’ The 30-person Senior CLASS Award recognizes student-athletes who excel both on and off the field, and have notable achievement in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. Fans can vote on the Senior CLASS Award through Dec. 14.
A team captain and member of the team’s leadership council for four consecutive season, as well as the newly created Influence Team, Bercovici is heavily involved in a number of community services initiatives and projects. On campus, he is a five-year member of ASU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has been an advocate for the Championship Life Program created by ASU. He helped put together a presentation with Jean Boyd and Drew Rosenhaus that is designed to help young student-athletes make the most of their time in school and ensure they set themselves up for a positive future. He has been instrumental in influencing his teammates and other student-athletes to become more involved in the community and routinely leads a contingent of student-athletes in community service and outreach events.
Bercovici has served as an ambassador the football program and Arizona State University on numerous occasions. He was a pace setter for kids’ portion of Pat’s Run, an annual race on ASU’s campus that honors the legacy and life of former Sun Devil linebacker Pat Tillman, spoke at the annual Tempe Chamber of Commerce Football Kickoff Luncheon, and attended the annual Pac-12 Football Media Day in Los Angeles. He is heavily involved in the Scholar Baller leadership and outreach program, which helps young people develop championship character, a strong sense of self-esteem and leadership attributes.
He has dedicated more than 50 hours at various kid’s camps and youth clinics throughout his career, including traveling back to his elementary school in Calabasas, Calif., to speak about the importance of attending college and earning a degree, and serving as a counselor at the Elite 11 quarterback camp in Oregon. He has committed another 50-plus hours in a number of visits during his five years at ASU, including multiple trips to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Carson Children’s Hospital in Mesa, as well as the Sunshine Acres Children’s Home, and multiple elementary and middle schools across the state, from Mesa to Gilbert to Phoenix.
