Wesleyan University

   On November 5, 2007, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced the selection of five exceptional individuals as the best and the brightest in the country for their accomplishments as athletes, scholars and citizens, naming them as the NFF National High School Scholar-Athletes for 2007. Among them was Wesleyan freshman Ryan Coffey '11, a member of the Cardinals' football squad which just completed its season with a 4-4 record.
     Coffey played in each of Wesleyan's eight contests in 2007 and posted three tackles from his spot on the defensive line.
     The NFF, in its announcement of the awards banquet held Tues., Dec. 4 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, qualified Coffey with the following acclaim -
    "A standout in the classroom as well in the arena of athletics, Ryan Coffey truly exemplified the phrase 'student-athlete' during his highly successful career at Burrillville (R.I.) High School.
     "Compiling an impressive 4.2 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, Ryan, ranked second in his class of 199. His work in the classroom earned him an AP Scholar Award, the Rensselaer Medal, the prestigious Bausch & Lomb Science Award and the Harvard Book Award. Vice president of his senior class, he was a member of the National Honor Society, the Student Technology Association and the Dead Poet's Society. Additionally, Burrillville High School named him their Most Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year and the school's Most Outstanding Spanish and English Student.
     "On the gridiron, Ryan's competitive sprit produced similar accolades to his classroom exploits. A 6-foot- 2 and 260 pounds offensive tackle and defensive end was a First-Team All-District and First-Team All-State selection during his senior campaign. A member of Providence Journal All-State football team, he complied 49 solo tackles, six sacks, and two blocked kicks in 10 games his senior year.
     "A three-time All-League Academic Team member, The Providence Gridiron Club honored him as Team MVP. An all-round athlete, Coffey became a staple on Burrillville hockey team as a four-year starter and on the baseball team as a three-year starter, earning Gatorade Rookie of the Year Award on both squads and All-Division again in both sports his senior year. In his senior year, he led the baseball team to the state championship as the tournament's MVP.
     " 'Ryan tore his ACL in his junior year, and after sevens months of rehabilitation he was back on the field,' said Rhode Island Chapter President Emo DiNitto. 'This speaks volumes about his determination and tenacity. Ryan is in the top five of all the Golden Dozen scholar-athletes that we have recognized in the past 20 years.'
    "Despite his busy schedule of class work and athletics, Ryan found time for additional extracurricular activities. As a senior he acted, sang and danced in the school's annual Christmas Play. He served as a waiter for church dinners at the St. Joseph's Church and volunteered for the Technology Student Association's Senior Ball. Ryan also held several jobs during his high school career, including delivering newspapers, serving as a dishwasher and member of the wait staff at a local retirement center and working at a local Subway restaurant.
     "The energetic Coffey currently attends Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., and is playing football for the Cardinals."

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