Shea Pitts has been named one of six finalists for the Pop Warner College Football Award in an announcement on Wednesday by the Pop Warner Little Scholars, the nation's oldest youth football organization. The award was established in 2010 to recognize a senior football student-athlete who has made a difference on the field, in the classroom and in his community while serving as a role model to Pop Warner's young student athletes.
Pitts, a reserve linebacker/nickel back and staple on special teams over the years for the Bruins, has seen action in 34 career games at UCLA. He picked up a quarterback sack in the win in the Coliseum over USC earlier this season and saw action in five games during the shortened 2020 season. He played in 23 of a possible 24 games throughout the 2018 and 2019 seasons, making his biggest splash in the later campaign when he tallied 13 tackles, including the first sack and forced fumble of his career.
Following the 2020 and 2019 seasons, Pitts was named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. The conference previously announced All-Academic Teams, which Pitts received honorable mention to in 2018. Pitts earned his undergraduate degree in political science and is enrolled in graduate school at UCLA in the Transformative Coaching and Leadership program. He has made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll on 10 occasions since enrolling in Fall 2017, posting a GPA of at least 3.0 while passing 12 or more units over the course of each quarter.
Active in his campus and local communities, Pitts has frequently served as a mentor to children from the Los Angeles Unified School District while speaking to the advantages to staying in school. He was honored by the 186th Street Elementary School for his annual involvement with the kids. Pitts has given back in other ways, as well, helping to raise money for Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Los Angeles Blind Children's Center and victims of genocide in Myanmar through different on-campus endeavors.
The other 2021 Pop Warner College Football Award finalists are --- Penn State QB Sean Clifford, BYU C James Empey, Oklahoma S Pat Fields, Cal S Elijah Hicks, Kentucky DE Joshua Paschal. The Pop Warner Little Scholars National College Football Award will be presented in January. Last year's winner was Notre Dame's Ian Book.
"The college athletic landscape has changed significantly over the past year, from COVID to NIL, and more than ever athletes are being called on to be role models and leaders in their communities," said Jon Butler, executive director of Pop Warner Little Scholars. "We believe athletes have a duty to lead on and off the field, and what they do off of it is often much more important and impactful. It's inspiring to see so many college players who embody Pop Warner's fundamental values of sportsmanship, academics and community service at the highest level and we are honored to have such an amazing group of finalists who have represented themselves, their universities and their communities with distinction."
For more information visit www.popwarner.com
Pitts, a reserve linebacker/nickel back and staple on special teams over the years for the Bruins, has seen action in 34 career games at UCLA. He picked up a quarterback sack in the win in the Coliseum over USC earlier this season and saw action in five games during the shortened 2020 season. He played in 23 of a possible 24 games throughout the 2018 and 2019 seasons, making his biggest splash in the later campaign when he tallied 13 tackles, including the first sack and forced fumble of his career.
Following the 2020 and 2019 seasons, Pitts was named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. The conference previously announced All-Academic Teams, which Pitts received honorable mention to in 2018. Pitts earned his undergraduate degree in political science and is enrolled in graduate school at UCLA in the Transformative Coaching and Leadership program. He has made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll on 10 occasions since enrolling in Fall 2017, posting a GPA of at least 3.0 while passing 12 or more units over the course of each quarter.
Active in his campus and local communities, Pitts has frequently served as a mentor to children from the Los Angeles Unified School District while speaking to the advantages to staying in school. He was honored by the 186th Street Elementary School for his annual involvement with the kids. Pitts has given back in other ways, as well, helping to raise money for Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Los Angeles Blind Children's Center and victims of genocide in Myanmar through different on-campus endeavors.
The other 2021 Pop Warner College Football Award finalists are --- Penn State QB Sean Clifford, BYU C James Empey, Oklahoma S Pat Fields, Cal S Elijah Hicks, Kentucky DE Joshua Paschal. The Pop Warner Little Scholars National College Football Award will be presented in January. Last year's winner was Notre Dame's Ian Book.
"The college athletic landscape has changed significantly over the past year, from COVID to NIL, and more than ever athletes are being called on to be role models and leaders in their communities," said Jon Butler, executive director of Pop Warner Little Scholars. "We believe athletes have a duty to lead on and off the field, and what they do off of it is often much more important and impactful. It's inspiring to see so many college players who embody Pop Warner's fundamental values of sportsmanship, academics and community service at the highest level and we are honored to have such an amazing group of finalists who have represented themselves, their universities and their communities with distinction."
For more information visit www.popwarner.com