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Football

@MizzouFootball’s Adam Ploudre Nominated for FWAA Courage Award

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football offensive lineman Adam Ploudre (Ballwin, Mo.) has been nominated for the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, announced Wednesday. The Orange Bowl Courage Award is annually given to a player, coach or support person in college football who displays courage, on or off the field.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football offensive lineman Adam Ploudre (Ballwin, Mo.) has been nominated for the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, announced Wednesday. The Orange Bowl Courage Award is annually given to a player, coach or support person in college football who displays courage, on or off the field.

Ploudre is up for the award after coming back from a devastating leg injury, suffered while playing at Marquette High School. A highly sought-after recruit, Ploudre was getting floods of offers as a blue-chip prospect before a routine practice during his junior year turned into a nightmare. Following a fumble, two of his teammates dove for the ball and both hit Ploudre's left leg. He broke both the tibia and fibula. He spent eight days in the hospital, including five in intensive care and had an 18-inch titanium rod inserted into his leg.

As Ploudre underwent seven surgeries and a 49-week recovery, his college football offers evaporated. He walked on to Mizzou's Football team as a freshman and worked his way up the depth chart. He was put on scholarship this summer and is now starting at right guard for head coach Barry Odom.

"When I look at it, I think to myself: wow," Ploudre said. "It's crazy how I came from a complete break in my leg to where I am now. Fortunately, and unfortunately, I kind of found my identity through the whole process. It really showed me how much I can overcome personally. I try to outwork anyone and anything and see where it gets me."

The Orange Bowl Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine's senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a FWAA member. A select group of writers from the FWAA vote on the winner each year.

The requirements for nomination for the weekly award include displaying some sort of courageous act, on or off the field including, overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster and living through a lifetime of hardships.

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