At the Rose Bowl Game Media Day on Monday, December 30, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson were presented with the Rose Bowl Game Scholar Athlete Award. The Scholar Athlete Award is given to one individual on each participating team who has excelled both academically and athletically.
Gabriel was one of the four finalists for the 2024 Heisman Trophy. The redshirt senior was also one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, known as the "Academic Heisman." The trophy recognizes the college football player with the best combined excellence in academics, athletics and leadership. Gabriel was also inducted into the National Football Foundation as a National Scholar-Athlete. He is the fifth Duck to be named a NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
Gabriel graduated from Oklahoma in 2023 and is currently pursuing his master's degree in Human Relations from Oregon.
Donovan Jackson earned consecutive Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors in 2021 and 2022. During Ohio State's trip to the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic, Jackson was named the Dan S. Petty Scholar-Athlete, selected by the schools' directors of athletics and head coaches. The Sports Industry senior was named a Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar on June 25, 2024. The College Sports Communicators nominated Jackson this 2024 season for Academic All-America Honors.
Off the field, Jackson is actively involved in the community at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus. He has also engaged with Future Fans, a Columbus-based organization that aims to connect parents and kids through sports. Last summer, Jackson interned with the Ohio State Athletic Department fan experience and promotions team as a member of the Go Bucks Pro, an internship program designed to progress student-athletes towards their career goals.
As this year's Rose Bowl Game Scholar Athlete recipients, Jackson and Gabriel will have their names permanently be featured on a commemorative trophy that lives in the Wrigley Mansion at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses House.
