Lance Armstrong, Manti Te’o, Tiger Woods. These athletes and athletes like them have been the talk of the news and will always be the talk of the news. People are intrigued by scandals. Athletes who are trustworthy, hard-working and respectable are rarely brought to light.

Nick Amuchastegui, Miles Batty, Ashley Brignac, Micah Davis, Robert Griffin III, Stacey Hagensen, Lindsay Lettow, Brooke Pancake, Liz Phillips and Wendy Trott. The only athlete that you may have heard of out of this bunch is 2011 Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III, also known as the Washington Redskins’RGIII. These ten athletes hold records in their sport, at their schools and in the NCAA record book. However, that is not what makes these athletes so unique. Their ability to play not just the role of athlete, but of a student first (an excellent one at that), as well as being involved in their community contributes to their uniqueness and the reason why they were named the NCAA Top Ten Athletes of 2013.

With GPA’s of 3.5’s and above, as well as multiple non-profit volunteer initiatives, these athletes know what it takes to be a trusted individual. They didn’t take the short cut to become excellent. They worked hard, and took the more difficult course over the easy course. They extend their hand just enough so that they knew what they could balance as a student-athlete-philanthropist.

The Eight Pillars of Trust are what these athletes are all about. Having a clear vision is what kept their eye on the prize and helped them succeed at what they do best. Each volunteered in different non-profits, such as The Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, The American Cancer Society, Boys and Girls Club, showing compassion, and being an example of servant leadership. They clearly exhibited character in their excellence. All of them showed their commitment to their sport, the communities they were involved in and schooling. Throughout all of these activities they remained fresh, relevant, and capable. They extended their networks by connecting with others outside of their comfort zone and contributed to their teammates, their communities and the world of sports.

Ultimately, the reason all of these athletes obtained such an honorable award was because of their consistency. They delivered the same moral product every time, and were consistent in their actions, which is stronger than superfluous promising words.

Unfortunately, these athletes will go unnoticed in mainstream media, and the scandals of athletes like Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods will always take precedence. One thing can be sure; these athletes will impact so many people throughout their lifetime, because they have proven that having the Eight Pillars of Trust will give you an edge, an edge that will mold an excellent and a trusted individual.

To read more on these trusted athletes, check out the full NCAA Top 10 for 2013 Article: Top 10 in 2013

Top row: Tony Dungy, Keith Jackson, Chad Hennings, Yolanda ‘Gail’ Devers, Bob Cottingham, Dylann Duncan Ceriani, Kirk Rohle, and David Borden 

Bottom row: Wendy Trott, Liz Phillips, Brooke Pancake, Lindsay Lettow, Stacey Hagensen, Micah Davis, Ashley Brignac, Miles Batty, and Nick Amuchastegui (Robert Griffin III was also an awardee but could not attend)

-AR

Nick Amuchastegui, Miles Batty, Ashley Brignac, Micah Davis, Robert Griffin III, Stacey Hagensen, Lindsay Lettow, Brooke Pancake, Liz Phillips, Wendy Trott, NCAA , Top 10 NCAA Athletes of 2013, RGIII, Trust in Sports, Building Trust, Eight Pillars of Trust, The Trust Edge