BYU defensive end Tyler Batty was named Thursday to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list for a second consecutive season.
Established in 2005, the Wuerffel Trophy is presented annually to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership and achievement on and off the field.
Batty, a 6-5, 270-pound junior from Payson, Utah, was recently selected to the 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team and was also named as a candidates for the prestigious Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.
As a sophomore in 2022, Batty started 12 games for BYU and finished the season as the teams fifth-leading tackler with 52, including 29 solo. The previous year he was named to the Pro Football Network All-Independent Second Team Defense after leading the Cougars in sacks with 3.5 and finishing fourth in tackles with 43 as a freshman.
In addition to his success on the field, Batty is involved in variety of community service endeavors. He founded and operates Edward’s Hands, a non-profit organization that provides equine therapy for children with autism, which provides a powerful bonding experience with their parents.
Batty also volunteers with Kids On The Move, an ABA therapy program in Utah County, and works closely with the BYU Built4Life program that develops student-athletes through a variety of professional experiences with a focus on service within the community.
Additionally, Batty assists with the True Blue Hero program run by the BYU football team and served a two-year volunteer service mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malaga and Madrid, Spain from 2017-19.
The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Famer and renowned humanitarian Danny Wuerffel, whose life mission is to inspire greater service in the world.
Semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy will be announced on Nov. 2 with the finalists being announced on Nov. 28. The formal announcement of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy recipient is scheduled to be made in early December during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. The presentation of the award will take place on Feb. 17, 2024, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.