Josey Jewell

Classroom

Josey Jewell has maintained a 3.21 GPA. He has been an Academic All-Big Ten honoree three straight years and a member of the UI Dean’s List in 2016-17.

Character

Jewell is a complete football player and a complete student-athlete. The best compliment on behalf of Jewell is the fact that he was a team captain as a sophomore. He is the first player to earn that distinction in the 19 years that Kirk Ferentz has been the University of Iowa head coach.

The names of the team awards he earned last year give an indication of what his teammates think of him: The Hayden Fry “Extra Heartbeat” Award, the Iron Hawk Award, the Players’ Choice Award, along with being a team captain and Most Valuable Player.

Jewell was one of five seniors named to the Leadership Group, one of seven juniors named to the 2016 Leadership Group, the only sophomore named to the 2015 Leadership Group and one of two redshirt freshmen named to 2014 Leadership Group.

Community

Jewell has taken part in many events around the community. He is a frequent visitor to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics patients and the Stead Family Children’s Hospital. He has been a participant in the student-run Dance Marathon organization that has raised millions of dollars for the UI Children’s Hospital. Iowa City is home to a veteran’s hospital, and Jewell is one of several players who makes frequent visits to patients.

Jewell participates in the NFL Play 60 activity annually. He also participates in Hawkeye Pride, visits the Children’s Museum (a local museum for kids that numerous Iowa student-athletes visit on a scheduled basis), Hawkeye Readers (a program that includes members of the Iowa football program visiting local elementary schools to read with children and share stories on their favorite books), and reading books at James Van Allen Elementary, which is one particular elementary school in Iowa City that has a reading program and an annual blood drive for local agencies with the football team.

Competition

Jewell ranked second in the Big Ten in tackles in 2016 with 124. As of nomination time, he had started 31 consecutive games over the last four seasons, was tied for 16th in career tackles with 315, and his 124 tackles in 2016 were tied as 27th-best single season total at Iowa. Along with earning second-team All-Big Ten honors in each of the past two seasons, Jewell was one of five finalists for the 2016 Butkus Award, which recognizes the best linebacker in college football. He was the only finalist from the Big Ten Conference.

His 2017 honors include being named the Walter Camp, Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week vs. Wyoming. He was also the Big Ten Conference and College Sports Madness defensive Player of the Week vs. Wyoming. He was named Big Ten Conference preseason Players to Watch List, as well as named to Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list, Bednarik Award preseason watch list and Bronko Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list. Jewell is a preseason first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honoree by Athlon Sports.