Deslin Alexandre Named Witten Collegiate Man of the Year
2/23/2023 10:00:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh's Deslin Alexandre has been named the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, an honor annually presented to the Football Bowl Subdivision player "who best demonstrates an outstanding record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship."
Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten presented Alexandre with the award at a ceremony Thursday evening in Frisco, Texas. Alexandre was one of three finalists for the honor, joining Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford and Oregon offensive lineman Alex Forsyth.
"I am honored to present the sixth annual Collegiate Man of the Year to Deslin Alexandre," Witten said. "He is a great leader and a role model for young athletes. He came to the U.S. from Haiti at a young age and overcame a lot of challenges to become a great player and leader, both on campus and in the community. He is a perfect example of what a college student-athlete can be."
Alexandre (Pompano Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) highly distinguished himself on and off the field at Pitt. He was a two-time team captain and three-year starter at defensive end, helping the Panthers to two consecutive Top 25 finishes and an ACC championship during his career.
In the classroom, Alexandre was a perennial Honor Roll student and three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Football Team. He earned his bachelor's degree in communication and is now pursuing an MBA in Pitt's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.
In the community, Alexandre set the pace for Pitt's entire athletic department, passionately dedicating time to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, literacy promotion and Divine Mercy Parish's historic "Red Door" program that provides meals and clothing for the homeless.
Using his NIL opportunities for the greater good, he launched the "5th Down Campaign" to build awareness and mobilize resources for the impoverished children of Haiti, where Alexandre himself was born. He achieved his goal of raising $50,000 for this cause.
"I don't think there are enough superlatives to describe Deslin and his achievements while at the University of Pittsburgh," Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi said. "His impact as a student, athlete and community leader is so inspiring. He represents the absolute best of what it means to be a Pitt Panther. Deslin has given Pitt so many reasons to be proud and I know he will make the Witten family proud as the recipient of this outstanding award."
This is the third national accolade Alexandre has received for his leadership and dedication to community endeavors. He previously was honored as the male collegiate recipient of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup and as a member of the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Alexandre is the sixth player to receive the award, joining UCF's Shaquem Griffin (2017), Wisconsin's D'Cota Dixon (2018), Tennessee's Trey Smith (2019), Texas' Sam Ehlinger (2020) and Kentucky's Josh Paschal (2021).
A $10,000 contribution will be made in Alexandre's name to Pitt's athletic scholarship fund from Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. Launched in 2007, the SCORE Foundation has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee. The foundation operates its nationally recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at nine family violence shelters within the two states.
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Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten presented Alexandre with the award at a ceremony Thursday evening in Frisco, Texas. Alexandre was one of three finalists for the honor, joining Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford and Oregon offensive lineman Alex Forsyth.
"I am honored to present the sixth annual Collegiate Man of the Year to Deslin Alexandre," Witten said. "He is a great leader and a role model for young athletes. He came to the U.S. from Haiti at a young age and overcame a lot of challenges to become a great player and leader, both on campus and in the community. He is a perfect example of what a college student-athlete can be."
Alexandre (Pompano Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) highly distinguished himself on and off the field at Pitt. He was a two-time team captain and three-year starter at defensive end, helping the Panthers to two consecutive Top 25 finishes and an ACC championship during his career.
In the classroom, Alexandre was a perennial Honor Roll student and three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Football Team. He earned his bachelor's degree in communication and is now pursuing an MBA in Pitt's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.
In the community, Alexandre set the pace for Pitt's entire athletic department, passionately dedicating time to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, literacy promotion and Divine Mercy Parish's historic "Red Door" program that provides meals and clothing for the homeless.
Using his NIL opportunities for the greater good, he launched the "5th Down Campaign" to build awareness and mobilize resources for the impoverished children of Haiti, where Alexandre himself was born. He achieved his goal of raising $50,000 for this cause.
"I don't think there are enough superlatives to describe Deslin and his achievements while at the University of Pittsburgh," Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi said. "His impact as a student, athlete and community leader is so inspiring. He represents the absolute best of what it means to be a Pitt Panther. Deslin has given Pitt so many reasons to be proud and I know he will make the Witten family proud as the recipient of this outstanding award."
This is the third national accolade Alexandre has received for his leadership and dedication to community endeavors. He previously was honored as the male collegiate recipient of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup and as a member of the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Alexandre is the sixth player to receive the award, joining UCF's Shaquem Griffin (2017), Wisconsin's D'Cota Dixon (2018), Tennessee's Trey Smith (2019), Texas' Sam Ehlinger (2020) and Kentucky's Josh Paschal (2021).
A $10,000 contribution will be made in Alexandre's name to Pitt's athletic scholarship fund from Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. Launched in 2007, the SCORE Foundation has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee. The foundation operates its nationally recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at nine family violence shelters within the two states.
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