Press release
NICK SINGLETON NAMED 2021-22 GATORADE NATIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
New York Giants' Saquon Barkley Surprises Winner with Honor SHILLINGTON, Pa., Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 37th year of honoring the nation's most
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[{"type":"text","content":"New York Giants' Saquon Barkley Surprises Winner with Honor\n\n\nSHILLINGTON, Pa., Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 37th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Nick Singleton of Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington, Pa. is the 2021-22 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Singleton won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the field, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Football Players of the Year who have combined for six NFL MVPs awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, six NFL first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.\nNew York Giants running back Saquon Barkley virtually surprised Singleton with the news, while his family, coaches and teammates showed up with the trophy at school. Check out a video of the announcement here.\nThe award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Singleton as the nation's best high school football player. The Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others to evaluate candidates, selected Singleton from more than one million other student-athletes who play high school football nationwide.\nCompetition for the national award was fierce. Singleton topped the list of state winners in football who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 34 with signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Division I colleges/universities, 36 who have volunteered for two or more organizations and 36 with a GPA of 3.5 and above.\n\"Nick Singleton has every single desirable trait at the running position,\" said Steve Wiltfong, Director of Football Recruiting for 247Sports. \"His combination of size, elite speed, elusiveness and power is rare. There's a reason he's our top-ranked prospect at the position. He has the ability to get tough yards and also hit the home run. He's the type of athlete who could win the 100-meter dash and the shot put in the same track meet. Nick is mature, focused, hard-working and also has all the attributes coaches covet as a student and leader. Tangibles. Intangibles. This young man has it all.\"\nThe 6-foot, 215-pound senior running back r...