Devyn Suggs Receives Scholar Athlete Honor

On Friday, March 13th, 2020 at 5:00 pm, the National Alliance of African American Athletes (The Alliance) will recognize another stellar group of high school athlete’s from across the nation for the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Award. The award is presented each year to the nation's top African American male high school scholar athlete. Devyn Suggs was selected as the top African American Male High School Scholar-Athlete for the Midwest Region for 2020. Devyn and the other regional honorees will be honored at a dinner during the weekend of Watkins Award festivities.

The National finalist will be honored on Saturday, March 14, 2020, at 6:00 p.m., all of the weekends festivities will be held at the prestigious Crystal City Hilton, Arlington, VA

Devyn Suggs, Bolingbrook, IL, Bolingbrook High School, - 3.8 G.P.A:

National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), Member National Student Leadership Conference (NLSC), the National Youth Leadership Forum, received the Distinguished Scholar Award for academic excellence, selected to the All Area Team in 2019, team Academic Excellence Award, team MVP Offensive Player. Devyn works with several local charities serving youth and is dedicated to being a positive role model. Devyn is considered a top duel threat quarterback and signed to attend and play football at Yale University. Devyn is the son of former New York Jet, Shafer Suggs (pictured below) and Susan Hoster-Suggs. Sister Faith Suggs is a former student-athlete and graduate of Duke University.

The Retired NFL Players Congress believes in uplifting the community and is a proud sponsor of the 2020 Watkins Awards regional honoree program, playerscongress.com.

"This year’s 2020 Watkins Award features an incredible collection of fine student athletes," Everette Pearsall, Executive Director of The Alliance, shares. “Each of these young men is well equipped for success academically. We have continued to recognize and honor the premier African American Scholar Athletes in the United States.”

Finalists and Regional Honorees are chosen based on their unweighted grade point average, their personal statements, extracurricular activities, community service, and letters of recommendation. Each winner will be recognized in the Washington, DC, area and each will receive an award, ring, and dinner in his hometown.

Sponsors of this year’s event include our major sponsor Under Armour, JMA Solutions, Peoples Community Foundation, Wal-Mart, Dell, Inc., Nash Management Group, Profusion, Gary McPherson Financial, Adventus Veritas, and Jostens Corporation, manufacturer of the Watkins Award trophy and rings. Media representatives are invited to cover the awards ceremony. For more information about the Watkins Award, The Alliance, or to get tickets for the awards ceremony visit our website at www.naaaa.com or email everette@naaaa.com.

The Watkins Award has been presented annually to African American scholar-athletes since 1992. The Watkins Award is named for Franklin D. Watkins, the coach of championship football and basketball teams in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Previous award winners include Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston of Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle, Justin Blalock, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, Gerald McCoy 6-time Pro Bowler of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Heisman Trophy finalists Dwayne Haskins and Bryce Love, Arrelius Benn, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ted Ginn, Jr of the New Orleans Saints, Lorenzo Alexander of the Buffalo Bills, Marcedes Lewis of the Green Bay Packers, Darnell Dinkins, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, LaVar Arrington, formerly of the Washington Redskins, Joseph Barksdale of the Arizona Cardinals, Grant Irons and Ronald Curry formerly of the Oakland Raiders, to name a few.

The National Alliance of African American Athletes was founded in 1989. The mission of The Alliance is to empower African American males through athletics, education and public programs.

Article Posted By Michael Carpanzano, Volunteer Bolingbrook Patch Mayor