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FWAA announces 2019 Courage Award goes to Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson

Teddy Rydquist

By Teddy Rydquist

Published:

First awarded in 2002, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) presents the Capital One Orange Bowl Courage Award annually to the individual whom best displays courage on or off the field by overcoming an injury or living through hardship.

Stadium’s Brett McMurphy shared on Twitter on Wednesday that Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson has been named the 2019 recipient of the award.

Anderson’s wife, Wendy, passed away on August 19 at the age of 49 following a battle with breast cancer. Despite this personal tragedy, Anderson was able to guide Arkansas State to their ninth consecutive bowl appearance.

Taking the reigns in the 2014 season after Bryan Harsin departed for Boise State, Anderson has won just one of his previous four bowl trips – a 31-13 triumph over the UCF Knights in the 2016 AutoNation Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. All told, he has posted a 46-30 (36-12 Sun Belt) record over six years.

The Red Wolves (7-5, 5-3) will face the FIU Panthers (6-6, 3-5 Conference USA) in the Camellia Bowl at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama on December 21 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

 

Teddy Rydquist

A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.