Senior D'angelo Hughes Tabbed As Ferris State's Jimmy Swears Courage Award Recipient
Note: This is the first of four major FSU Athletics Awards that will be presented between now and Friday for the 2019-20 campaign. The remaining awards will be announced over the course of this week.
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University men's basketball guard D'angelo Hughes (Springfield, Ill.), who concluded his collegiate career this past season as the Bulldogs reached the NCAA Division II Tournament and claimed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship, has been chosen as the recipient of Ferris State Athletics' Jimmy Swears Courage Award for the 2019-20 campaign.
The Jimmy Swears Courage Award is presented to a deserving student or current personnel within the Bulldog Athletics program, who when confronted with a life-altering or difficult situation, has used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome the odds while inspiring others.
Hughes capped off a stellar collegiate career this past season tied for first among the program's all-time winningest players in history with 113 career wins prior to the abrupt ending of the campaign on the eve of the NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The four-year letterwinner earned All-GLIAC Second Team accolades after averaging 9.1 points and a team-high 4.4 assist per game as the squad's point guard while leading FSU to a 27-6 overall mark and the program's third league title in the last four years.
"We're honored to name D'angelo Hughes as the 2020 Jimmy Swears Courage Award winner," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger. "He's an excellent choice and an outstanding example of what can be accomplished as a student-athlete through dedication and commitment.
"Not only was he a key player for us the last four years, including being a member of our national championship team two years ago, but he also became a leader and ambassador for the program over the course of his career," he added. "It's a pleasure to recognize him as the recipient of this year's award."
After coming off the bench his first two years and helping the Bulldogs to the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship as a sophomore reserve, Hughes thrived in his final two years as a key performer in an enhanced role and developed into a team leader. He helped FSU win 20 games or more for the sixth consecutive year this season and the Bulldogs made three NCAA Tournament appearances during his collegiate career.
The success Hughes displayed over the course of his collegiate career came despite the odds. He arrived at Ferris after the death of his brother while in high school and also lost his grandmother during his junior season. In addition, he played thru a significant injury in 2018-19, which required surgery immediately following his third campaign. The standout performer also willingly came off the bench as a junior when two-sport teammate DeShaun Thrower joined the squad following the football season despite the fact he had been the team's leading scorer to that point, displaying his team-first attitude.
"Being a team leader and responding to adversity describes D'Lo to a tee," said FSU head coach Andy Bronkema. "When confronted with tough situations in life, D'Lo always choose to press on and fight and that courage spread throughout our program. He's extremely deserving to receive this tremendous honor."
The Jimmy Swears Courage Award is named in honor of longtime FSU Athletics booster Jim Swears, who passed away Jan. 17, 2007, at the age of 64 following a lengthy bout with cancer. A local businessman and community activist, Swears was a strong supporter of Ferris State men's ice hockey, football, and basketball. He worked diligently to help develop and maintain FSU's status as a NCAA Division I men's ice hockey program. Additionally, Swears served on the board of directors for the Big Rapids Area Junior Hockey Association and was an active member of the Michigan Automobile Dealers Association. He was the 2006 recipient of the Northern Lights Lifetime Achievement Award for business and industry in the Big Rapids (Mich.) area.
Nominees for the award are an inspiration to their peers, serve as a role model to others and are a team leader while responding to adversity. Those individuals nominated for the award must be involved with the Bulldog intercollegiate athletics program and possibly include student-athletes, student managers, student coaches and/or student athletic trainers in addition to current athletics department personnel.
"We're honored to be able to present these year-end awards and extremely pleased as an athletic department to be able to honor our outstanding student-athletes and people with awards named after individuals who have played such a big part in the history and tradition of Bulldog Athletics," said Weisenburger.
Hughes becomes the 12th-ever winner of the Jimmy Swears Courage Award and the second Bulldog men's basketball player to earn the recognition. Former women's basketball guard Kylie Muntz is the only two-time winner of the prestigious honor, making this year's honor the 13th time overall in which the award has been bestowed.
The other nominees for this year's honor included Ferris State Football student-athlete Omari McCauley along with volleyball's Maeve Grimes.
Jimmy Swears Courage Award Recipients
2019-20 - D'angelo Hughes (Men's Basketball)
2018-19 - Jackie Kirkpatrick (Softball)
2017-18 - Tavierre Thomas (Football)
2016-17 - Chad McDonald (Men's Ice Hockey)
2015-16 - James Chappell (Men's Basketball)
2014-15 - Simon Denis (Men's Ice Hockey)
2013-14 - Will Huntington (Men's Tennis)
2012-13 - Kylie Muntz (Women's Basketball)
2011-12 - Kylie Muntz (Women's Basketball)
2010-11 - Natalie Diorio (Women's Tennis)
2009-10 - Richard Weisenberger (Men's Golf)
2008-09 - Aaron Lewicki (Men's Ice Hockey)
2007-08 - No recipient
2006-07 - Mark Bomersback (Men's Ice Hockey)