National Football Foundation

Will Rote perfectly fits the definition of scholar-athlete with a 4.4 GPA and a 1440 on the SAT. The grandson of College Football Hall of Fame running back Kyle Rote (SMU), Will has plenty of football skills in his genes. He was named a National Merit Finalist and to the top 20 Academic Scholars in his senior year. Rote ranked 12^th in a class of 127 at Briarcrest Christian High School (Tenn.), and he received a national chemistry Olympiad top ten award, a great works of poetry award and a creative writing award.

As team captain of Briarcrest, he led the defensive unit in tackles for two straight seasons, setting records for most tackles in a game (22), in a season (145) and in a career (373). In his senior year, Rote was named first team all-state, first team all-conference and first team all-metro. He was also named TSSAA Region Player of the Year and the team’s Most Valuable Player. An outstanding role model in his community, Rote participated in Meals on Wheels, and he was a two-year president of the Key Club. A three-year member of the Service Over Self Club, Rote also volunteered as a summer camp counselor.