The award looks beyond performance totals
NC State defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley is one of 20 semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. The distinction centers on leadership on and off the field rather than functioning as an All-America team. Finalists will be announced December 15, and the winner's school will receive $10,000 for its athletic scholarship fund.
That definition matters because it directs attention toward work a box score cannot capture. NC State describes Shirley as a team captain who mentors local students and leads the school's Uplifting Athletes chapter. He is also a four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection and was a finalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars award.
Leadership is concrete when responsibilities are named
A September school profile reported that Shirley carries a 3.8 grade-point average in sport management with a psychology minor and plans postgraduate work in business finance. Academic details alone do not prove football leadership, just as a tackle total does not prove community influence. Together, the responsibilities show a player repeatedly trusted with preparation in different settings.
The useful football connection is organizational. A defensive tackle often works where television cameras cannot easily distinguish who maintained a gap and who created room for a teammate. A leader can reinforce the call, correct alignment and model preparation even when another player receives the statistic. That contribution should be described specifically rather than inflated into an unsupported claim that one person transforms the defense.
Recognition can reinforce a program standard
The Witten Award will name three finalists and announce its winner March 11, 2027, at AT&T Stadium. Shirley has not won it, and the semifinal selection should not be treated as a prediction. It is evidence that an external committee recognized the combination of service, scholarship and leadership NC State documented.
For the Wolfpack, that evidence has immediate value even without a game result attached. Younger players can see that preparation includes the classroom, community and unnoticed defensive assignment, not only a visible Saturday play. Shirley's honor is most meaningful at that scale. It measures the repeated, ordinary work that allows a team to trust a captain before the ball is snapped.
Sources & reporting
- NC State Athletics: Shirley named Jason Witten Award semifinalist ↗
- NC State Athletics: Shirley named Campbell Trophy semifinalist ↗
- UTSA Athletics: Jason Witten Award semifinalists ↗
This article adds independent analysis to publicly available reporting. We did not conduct the interviews or report the game firsthand. Report a factual error.