Who is eligible?
Eligibility for application is limited exclusively to men and women entering their senior year of high school in the 2007-2008 academic year who have at least a “B” grade average and participate in at least one of the 33 sports officially sanctioned by the National Federation of State High Schools. We want to hear from all student-athletes who work hard, are dedicated, and have become role models for your school’s underclassmen. Students are judged based on their academic achievements, community service involvement, and athletic accomplishments.
How do they apply and what's the timing?
The online nomination form must be completed by the student and reviewed by a high school official no later than 11:59pm (Central Time) on October 1, 2007. Each student applicant must have their online application reviewed and confirmed by a school representative. Thus, the students must complete their application early to allow time for school personnel to review and confirm the accuracy of the data provided.
Sanctioned sports:
To be nominated for the Wendy's High School Heisman Program, students must participate in at least one of the 33 sports officially sanctioned by the National Federation of State High Schools:
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Heisman regions:
Nominees for the 12 National Finalists of the WHSH Program are grouped according to the same geographical regions used in the College Heisman Memorial Trophy judging:
- Far West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming
- Southwest: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas
- Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin
- Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont
- Mid-Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia
- South: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee
The Judging Process
All student applications must have their online application reviewed and confirmed by a school representative. Both the student AND the reviewer must submit their information online by 11:59pm Central Time, October 1. Completed applications are then reviewed by ACT, Inc. From the completed applications, 1 Male and 1 Female Winner will be chosen from each high school. From the School Winners, the field is narrowed to 1,020 State Finalists – 10 male and 10 female nominees per state, including the District of Columbia – and the Finalists are announced in October.
In November, the field narrows to 102 State Winners – one male and 1 female from each state including the District of Columbia. In mid-November, a judging panel selects 12 National Finalists – 1 male and 1 female from each of six geographic regions. These students are invited to the Wendy’s High School Heisman National Awards Banquet on December 7, 2007, in New York City. They also will attend all Heisman Memorial Trophy Weekend festivities.
Two National Award Winners, 1 male and 1 female, are selected from the 12 National Finalists, and are honored during ESPN’s national telecast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation.
How Are They Judged?
Wendy’s High School Heisman Program nominees are judged equally in three areas: academics, community/school involvement and athletics. ACT, Inc. reviews all materials and scores the nominees based on the program criteria. The raw scores then dictate who proceeds to the next level of recognition. Once nominees reach the State Winner level, a distinguished panel of judges review nomination forms and vote on the students who will then reach the National Finalist and National Winner levels.
Program Judges
Representatives from the worlds of education, business and sports, along with former college Heisman Memorial Trophy Award Winners and Wendy’s High School Heisman recipients judge the entries and, ultimately, select the 12 National Finalists and two program winners.
