Corum Selected as Finalist for Prestigious Wuerffel Trophy
11/28/2023 12:00:00 PM | Football
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Senior running back Blake Corum of the University of Michigan football program was named on Tuesday (Nov. 28) by the The Wuerffel Foundation as one of three finalists for the Danny Wuerffel Trophy. The Wuerffel Trophy is presented to the FBS player who combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.
Corum is Michigan's first-ever Wuerffel Trophy finalist. He joins Notre Dame linebacker JD Bertrand and Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey as this year's finalists.
College football's premier award for community service, and one of the most meaningful awards in collegiate sports, The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida who pivoted his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Wuerffel Trophy embodies his commitment to being a humanitarian while honoring student-athletes who serve others and make a positive impact on society.
An offensive captain for the Maize and Blue, Corum was a 2022 unanimous first team All-American and a midseason selection in 2023. This year, he has helped U-M achieve a 12-0 mark and a Big Ten East division title with the nation's No. 13 scoring offense (37.6 points per game). He has 976 rushing yards and an FBS-leading 22 rushing touchdowns, which is also a single-season record at Michigan. On 202 carries, Corum has only 12 yards lost.
Corum says, "Football is my passion, but giving back is my purpose," and he has lived that mantra during his time as a Wolverine. Through NIL earnings, he has generously contributed money and many hours of his time to bettering the Ann Arbor campus community and the nearby areas of Ypsilanti and Detroit, Mich., in addition to his hometown in Virginia.
Corum's flagship event is his Giving Back 2 Give Thanks event during Thanksgiving. This year, he provided more than 600 Thanksgiving turkey meals and donated gallons of milk for those in need in neighboring Ypsilanti. Over the past three years, he has donated more than 1,000 Thanksgiving meals to the community.
He also has provided backpacks full of school supplies to the area in a back-to-school event. Corum is preparing for his second holiday toy drive (2021), having previously partnered with the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL). He will partner with Detroit Rescue Mission Ministry in December 2023. He has been active in visiting schools, reading to kids, and as a guest speaker.
Whether he is organizing a meal drive or a toy drive, finding time to read to kids, purchasing back-to-school materials for a community in need, or literally providing food to his neighbors, Corum is committed to making a difference.
The winner of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy will be announced as part of the 2023 ESPN College Football Awards Show presented by Home Depot on the evening of Friday, Dec. 8.
