Nick Malone Wins 2022 Tommy Nickolich Award
Saturday afternoon, redshirt junior offensive lineman Nick Malone was presented the Tommy Nickolich Memorial Award.
At the conclusion of spring drills each year, the Blue & Gold News awards the Tommy Nickolich Memorial Award to a walk-on team member who has distinguished himself through his attitude and work ethic. The award is presented in memory of Tommy Nickolich, a former WVU player (1979-82) who died of cancer in 1983.
"He's an athletic guy that was thin [when he came in]. And what he's done is really worked on his body over the last three years to really put himself in position where right now, we feel like he can be a quality backup," said WVU head coach Neal Brown. "He played tight end on field goal all year last year. He played tight end in the last two games of the year last season. He's done extremely well in the classroom, he's worked, he's been absolutely no issue and he's grown into a player. That was an award that over the course of the last three years that he's really earned."
"It's very nice [to get recognition]," Malone said upon receiving the award. "Most linemen, we don't get as much recognition. We get a lot of the blame. Being a walk-on as well, it was a very good feeling. From when I first got here my goal was to play. Going through the years, I just wanted to get my body right and I think I've done that with coach Mike [Joseph]. He's done a tremendous job and hitting that goal weight of 300, that was my goal from freshman year when I came in at 260."
Past Nickolich Award winners:
1991 Keith Taparausky, RB
1992 Brett Parise, WR
1993 Matt McCulty, WR
1994 Randy Fulmore, DB
1995 Rob Keys, DB
1996 Matt Ceresa, OL
1997 David Lightcap, DB
1998 Mark Corman, TE
1999 Bryan Lorenz, LB
2000 Ben Collins, LB
2001 Jeremy Knapp, TE
2002 Moe Fofana, RB
2003 John Pennington, WR
2004 Jeff Noechel, LB
2005 George Shehl, H/DB
2006 Tim Lindsey, LS
2007 Andy Emery, LB
2008 Adam Hughes, LS
2009 Josh Taylor, DL
2010 Matt Lindamood, FB
2011 Ryan Nehlen, WR
2012 Tyler Anderson, DE
2013 Connor Arlia, WR
2014 Michael Calicchio, OL
2015 Justin Arndt, LB
2016 Jon Lewis, DL
2017 Nick Meadows, LS
2018 Evan Staley, K
2019 Jake Abbott, LB
2020 Osman Kamara, S
2021 Graeson Malashevich, WR/H
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