Dean, Stoute Honored As Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s Nakobe Dean and Cecily Stoute are among 20 student-athletes nationwide who have been selected as Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The publication named 10 female and 10 male honorees on Friday out of nearly 1,000 nominees.

In addition to their athletic ability, the students named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars are students of color who have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, are at least sophomores academically, and have been active on their campuses or in their communities. Of the nearly 1,000 scholar-athletes nominated, one male and one female athlete will be selected as Sports Scholar of the Year. The 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year semifinalists will be announced at a later date.           

Dean enjoyed a standout season on the field, earning the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker while leading the Bulldogs to the 2021 national championship. A consensus All-America selection, Dean recorded 72 tackles, including a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss. He also had 6.0 sacks, six pass break ups, 31 quarterback pressures and two interceptions, including a 50-yard “pic six” against Florida.  A native of Horn Lake, Miss., Dean is a mechanical engineering major who sports at 3.53 GPA and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.

Within the community, Dean was named the overall captain of the 2021 American Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) Good Works Team. He has taken a leading role with “Dawgs for Pups,” which is the Georgia football program’s multi-faceted effort to directly affect the lives of local youth in the Athens/Clarke County area; visited Camp Sunshine, which provides recreational, educational and support programs for children with cancer and their families; participated in Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer Golf Tournament, which is designed to raise awareness and money for research for a cure to breast cancer; helped with Read Across America, which is a program for local school children as part of the national program where civic groups and community leaders volunteer their time to read a story to students at Barrow Elementary.

A two-time All-SEC honoree, Stoute started all 18 games she played in 2021 for the Bulldogs, who finished 11-5-3 record last season. She logged 1,566 minutes, including seven full games and thre overtime matches. Stoute anchored a Georgia backline that allowed only 26 goals (1.37 per game) and a .123 shot rate by opponents. Stoute, a native of Johns Creek, Ga. is journalism major who sports a 3.65 GPA.

Stoute has been a community leader before and throughout her collegiate career. She has founded and created four community service initiatives – Project Think Pink, which has raised funds for breast cancer awareness donated to the annual Atlanta 2 Day Walk; Kicking 4 A Cure, a breast cancer awareness group for the Chattahoochee football team to benefit breast cancer awareness and aised funds at annual “pink out” game, where individuals pledged every field goal made during the game; #YouGotThis, a support group for fifth grade students who were entering middle school, to provide insight, support and encouragement for their transition and the obstacles they will face; and Caring Senior Services, which coordinates volunteer work consisted of decorating, baking, serving, walking dogs and arts & crafts for residents of Iris Place Retirement Home.

The top women (in alphabetical order) are: Bryanna Brown, Lincoln, Basketball; Natalie Chou, UCLA, Basketball; Logan Eggleston, Texas, Volleyball; Arianna Fisher, Missouri, Track/Cross Country; Mia Gordon, Miami (Ohio), Field Hockey; Sophie Jaques, Ohio State, Ice Hockey; Gabriela Leon, Louisville, Track/Cross Country; Ivana Shah, Akron, Golf; Cecily Stoute, Georgia, Soccer; and Kinsley Washington, UCLA, Softball.

The top men (in alphabetical order) are: Trammell Anthony, Shenandoah, Football & Track/Cross Country; DeWayne Carter, Duke, Football; Nakobe Dean, Georgia, Football; Andrei Duarte, Georgia State, Tennis; Jacob Haines, NYU, Swimming; Isaiah Holmes, Miami (Fla.), Track/Cross Country; Tyler Johnson, Ohio State, Track/Cross Country; Aaron Mateo Olmos, Oregon State, Wrestling; Shea Pitts, UCLA, Football; and Jordan Wright, Vanderbilt, Basketball.

On April 28, 2022, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education will publish its annual Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars special report edition. As the name denotes, this edition is a part of our decades-long tradition of recognizing outstanding minority young men and women who have distinguished themselves in their academic and athletic pursuits.

Georgia student-athletes have been recognized as the overall Arthur Ashe National Sports Scholar honoree three times. Football placekicker Rodrigo Blankenship was chosen in 2020, basketball guard Haley Clark was selected in 2018 and gymnast Marcia Newby was tabbed in 2010. In addition, track distance runner Jessica Drop and football player Christopher Burnette were national finalists in 2021 and 2013, respectively. Additional past Ashe scholars include Baylor’s Robert Griffin III in 2011, Tennessee’s Kara Lawson in 2003; San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk in 1993 and Stanford’s Simone Manuel in 2017. Published since 1984, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education is the nation’s only biweekly newsmagazine dedicated exclusively to diversity issues in higher education.