Spanellis Among Five National High School Scholar-Athletes
10/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 5, 2016
IRVING, Texas -- University of Michigan freshman offensive lineman Stephen Spanellis was recognized by the National Football Foundation (NFF) on Wednesday (Oct. 5) as one of five recipients of the 2016 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards.
This award honors the best of the best from around the country at the high school level, recognizing representatives from the Midwest, Northeast, West, South and East regions. Spanellis is the fourth Wolverine to receive the distinction, joining Drew Henson, Brandent Englemon and Zoltan Mesko.
Each recipient of this recognition is selected as the best of the best from his region of the country at the high school level. Each of the five honorees is currently playing college football, and all are being recognized solely for their accomplishments in high school.
Spanellis attended the Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been selected as the representative for the East Region by the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
A captain at the Gilman School, Spanellis won four varsity letters and helped lead his team to a 10-1 record and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference title last fall as a senior. He was a consensus All-State, All-Metro and All-MIAA selection in each of his two final seasons and was voted All-Maryland by USA Today.
Spanellis' average grade at the Gilman School was an outstanding 94.57. He was part of the Cum Laude Society and was an honor roll member all four years of school. He received Gilman's Scott B. Deutschmann Teammate Award and the Peter Parrot Blanchard Award for his impact and commitment, and also served as vice president of the Gilman Athletic Association. In addition to occupying the team captaincy in football, he shared that responsibility during the track and field season.
Spanellis spent time working and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, committing 50 hours of his time to help build homes for those less fortunate, and he participated in a weekly bible study group throughout his high school experience.
Michigan is on the road this weekend, playing Rutgers at High Point Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kick on Saturday (Oct. 8). It will be televised on ESPN2.
Communications Contact: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard
