Mississippi State McWhorter Nominees Announced

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 21, 2022) – Austin Williams of the Mississippi State football team and Mia Davidson-Smith of the Bulldog softball squad have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship by Mississippi State University.

The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes.

The Southeastern Conference will name the 2022 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship in early May.

Highlights of Mississippi State’s nominees include:

AUSTIN WILLIAMS, Mississippi State, Football

Major: Business Administration/Finance

Masters: Business Administration

• Two-Time CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American, 2020, 2021
• Two-Time CoSIDA Academic All-District Selection, 2020, 2021
• Five-Time Member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• Earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in Summer 2021 (4.0 GPA)
• Earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/Finance in Spring 2020 (4.0 GPA)
• Five-Time Member of MSU’s President’s List and Bulldog Honor Roll, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• SEC Football Community Service Team, 2021)
• Jason Witten Man of the Year Award Semifinalist, 2021
• Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist, 2021
• MSU Football Leadership Council as voted by teammates, 2020, 2021
• Lee Award Winner: 4.0 throughout entire undergraduate degree, 2020
• Newsom Award Winner: Overall student-athlete of the year award for all sports at MSU, 2020
• 50 games played across four seasons
• Owns the lowest drop rate in the SEC since 2019 at 0.9 percent, per PFF.
• 116 receptions for 1245 yards and 12 touchdowns
• Produced season highs for career in catches (52), yards (617) and TD (4) in 2021
• Team Captain in all 13 Games during 2021 season
• Starter in 12 of 13 Games during 2021 season

MIA DAVIDSON, Mississippi State, Softball

Major: Kinesiology

• Four-time SEC Honor Roll member, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• Graduated with her degree in kinesiology – currently pursuing a master’s in sports administration
• Has interned with MSU Athletics communications and marketing offices and the softball office
• SEC all-time career home run leader in both softball and baseball
• Tied for seventh in NCAA history with 85 career home runs
• Three-time all-region selection and 2019 All-American
• USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist, 2019
• SEC Freshman of the Year, 2018
• Served at Youth Camp, a free outreach opportunity for children in the community to learn softball skills

The SEC provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.

The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 14 SEC institutions and are announced in May, as well as honored by the league membership at SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla.

Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Florida women’s swimming team member Savanna Faulconer and Jon Bishop of the Texas A&M men’s track & field and cross country team.