National Football Foundation

Described as a leader and mentor for the Rutgers football program, Brandon Renkart has also excelled academically by tackling the rigors of a Civil Engineering major with aplomb. 

Hailing from Piscataway, N.J., Renkart is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma National Athletic Fraternity as well as the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. The two-time All-Big East Academic Team selection has registered Dean's List recognition seven of his eight semesters, and currently ranks fourth in his class in civil engineering. 

A former walk-on, Renkart worked his way through the Rutgers football program to become a two-year starter for the Scarlet Knights. Head football coach Greg Schiano said, "Brandon has been the consummate student-athlete throughout his career at Rutgers." The team captain has registered 44 tackles this season, including six tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He was also voted by his teammates as a member of the team's leadership council. 

Renkart is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and participates in Rutgers' community outreach program. He has visited local elementary schools and children's hospitals. A volunteer speaker at football clinics, he also serves as a mentor for area school systems. 

Following 2006 Draddy winner Brian Leonard, Renkart is the fifth NFF National Scholar-Athlete in Scarlet Knight history. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent after the 2008 NFL Draft and appeared on the rosters of the Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Renkart is currently a master's student in the computational finance and risk management program at the University of Washington and an associate director for Burgiss, a global provider of investment decision support tools for the private capital market.