UD football player awarded memorial trophy

DAYTON — A University of Dayton football player has been named the winner of a memorial award, a spokesperson from the university said.

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Senior wide receiver Derek Willits is the 2023 winner of the Lt. Andy Zulli Memorial Trophy.

Willits was presented with the trophy during halftime of Saturday’s football game against Marist.

This award is given to a UD senior each year who exemplifies the qualities of Zulli, the spokesperson said.

Zulli is a former UD football player who was killed in a military vehicle crash while serving in Germany shortly after graduating in 1954.

He exemplified qualities of sportsmanship, scholarship, and leadership; therefore, the award was created in his memory shortly after he passed away, the spokesperson said.

The university considers this one of the most prestigious awards in the football program.

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Willits is second on the team in receiving this season, the spokesperson said.

He has 20 catches for an 11.6 yards-per-reception average. He is a team captain and the president of the university’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Willits is from Centerville and a graduate of Alter High School. He is studying biochemistry, the spokesperson said.

The Flyer’s beat the Marist Red Foxes 35-6.

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