Madison Ross, Austin College
Madison Ross has been honored as this week's SCAC Character and Community Award recipient.
Austin College football player Madison Ross is one of the more unassuming star athletes you’re likely to meet. The quiet senior leader has come to epitomize what it means to be a true student-athlete over his four years with the Kangaroo football program, though he avoids the spotlight and is quick to credit his teammates with his success – and he’s had an awful lot of success over the years in Sherman. This week he added even more accolades, being named the SCAC Character & Community Award recipient.
The 2012 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year has excelled not just on the football field, but also in the classroom and the community. Ross became just the third Austin College football player to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America status last year, and could repeat that honor this year after being named to the Academic All-District team earlier this month. He’s also a First Team All-SCAC running back, and just this past week became the first Austin College player to surpass 1,000 rushing yards since 2000.
But he also sets a sterling example in the community, as well. Over the past couple of years, he’s made an impact with local kids as well as being a true leader not just with his own teammates, but for the Austin College student community as a whole. He’s served as a senior student panelist for Freshmen Finals Week, answering questions from first year students and providing insight on how to handle the heavy load of finals week.
He likewise served as a senior student panelist for the college’s Freshmen Athlete Seminar, guiding newcomers on how to get the most out of both their athletics experiences as well as their educational experiences. Additionally, he’s served as a leader for Austin College Experience Day, giving campus tours to prospective students and giving insight and answering questions about life at Austin College to high school students and their parents.
His impact has extended beyond the Austin College classroom, as well. This fall he has had the opportunity to read to children with disabilities at Sory Elementary in Sherman, and this past spring and summer coached basketball for fifth grade children. He’s also read to children at Montessori Elementary, and along with his teammates, has done community service in Sherman, including aiding the elderly with household chores.
Ross has twice been named the SCAC Offensive Player of the Week this season, including following a career performance with 207 yards, and has been a member of the SCAC Academic Honor Roll and the Austin College Dean’s List every semester.