Bouyer Leadership Awarded To Matt DeHart

Bouyer Leadership Awarded To Matt DeHart

Senior guard/forward Matt DeHart (Greenville) of the Ferris State University men's basketball team has been chosen as the recipient of the FSU Athletics Department's Willie Bouyer Leadership Award for the 2010-11 campaign.

The Willie Bouyer Leadership Award, which is regarded as the most prestigious of the FSU Athletics Department's four annual major honors, is named in memory of Ferris State's first All-America football student-athlete Willie Bouyer.  Bouyer was tragically killed in his hometown of Detroit in 1977. The recipient is chosen by a FSU Athletics Department committee.

Candidates for the award are judged on their strong inspirational leadership and dedication to fellow Ferris State student-athletes.  The nominees also should be involved outside of athletics in other college and community activities along with participating on a varsity athletics team for at least two years.  The Willie Bouyer Leadership Award was reinstated upon the conclusion of the 2002-03 season following a seven-year absence.

"Matt is an exemplary young man, a natural leader and is very deserving of this award," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger.  "He was a big part of the success our men's basketball team achieved in making it to the "Sweet 16" this season plus he was a fixture on our Student-Athlete Advisory Board.  Matt is a wonderful choice as the recipient of this leadership award in the name of Willie Bouyer."

A former walk-on, DeHart concluded his FSU career as one of the program's all-time bests in three-pointers made and three-point percentage.  He tallied nine points and four rebounds a game this past season while making the third-most three's (78) in school single-season history.  The 6-4, 185-pound DeHart also picked up Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division Player of the Week honors this season and finished the year as one of the league leaders in three-pointers made and three-point percentage.

Behind the play of DeHart and three other members of the senior class, the Ferris State men concluded the 2010-11 season by reaching the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen and the Midwest Regional Championship Game in Louisville, Ky.  The Bulldogs also captured the GLIAC North Division Championship and hosted the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals and Finals this past season.  Ferris State earned runner-up laurels in both the conference and NCAA regional tournaments.

In addition to his success on the court, DeHart has also been active off the floor by serving as a member of FSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He was also involved as a student-athlete representative on the selection committee to hire a new athletics director last summer and has served as a basketball camp coordinator for Eagle Village. The two-time (2009-10 & 2010-11) GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree was a four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs.

DeHart is the third men's basketball player in school history to receive the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award, following in the footsteps of Kurt Stevens (1985-86) and Jeffrey Shanahan (2005-06).

The other 2010-11 nominees for the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award included Zach Redmond of the men's ice hockey team, men's golf team member Joe Brown along with Jack Swan of the men's tennis squad.   

Willie Bouyer Leadership Award Recipients 
2010-11 – Matt DeHart (Men's Basketball)
2009-10 – Casey Haines (Men's Ice Hockey) and Kurt Valley (Men's Golf)
2008-09 – Holly Bruntjens (Softball)
2007-08 – Raquel Hansen (Women's Golf) and Katie Kraai (Softball)
2006-07 – Danielle Baucher (Women's Volleyball) and Raquel Hansen (Women's Golf)
2005-06 – Brittny Godlewski (Women's Volleyball) and Jeffrey Shanahan (Men's Basketball)
2004-05 – Brittny Godlewski (Women's Volleyball) and Navreet Gill (Softball)
2003-04 – Melissa Worsley (Softball) and Derrick McIver (Men's Ice Hockey)
2002-03 – Steve Picucci (Mens' Cross Country and Men's Track & Field)
1995-96 – Benny Roe (Football)
1994-95 – Tim Christian (Men’s Ice Hockey)
1993-94 – Jere Getzinger (Wrestling and Football)
1992-93 – Dave Morin (Baseball)
1991-92 – Erica Thomas (Women’s Basketball)
1990-91 – Mark Kamppinen (Baseball)
1989-90 – Doug Mooney (Wrestling) and Jody Johnson (Softball)
1988-89 – Jim Beson (Football and Wrestling)
1987-88 – Sam Sweet (Men’s Track and Field)
1986-87 – Paul Surmont (Cheerleading – Bulldog Mascot)
1985-86 – Kurt Stevens (Men’s Basketball)
1984-85 – Steve Piotraczk (Football), Katy Kelley (Women’s Basketball)
1980-81 – Fred Kirkland (Football and Men's Track & Field)