QB Quincy Patterson wins 2018 Watkins Award Trophy

Tech signee recognized as nation's top African-American male prep student-athlete

March 11, 2018

BLACKSBURG – The National Alliance of African American Athletes presented the 27^th annual Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Award trophy to Quincy Patterson II in Arlington, Virginia on Saturday evening. Patterson signed with Virginia Tech following a standout career at Solorio Academy High School in Chicago.

“Quincy Patterson II is an exceptional young man, a leader in the classroom, on the football field and in the community,” said J. Everette Pearsall, executive director of The Alliance. “As the standard bearer for the Watkins Class of 2018, we know that at Virginia Tech he will continue to set an example for his peers. Quincy and the other members of his year’s Watkins Class have conducted themselves with integrity and dignity and we wish them will as they begin college in the fall and take the next step in their careers.”

Congrats to @watkinsaward winner Quincy Patterson II from Chicago, being awarded at the 27th Annual Watkins Awards Gala!

— Watkins Award (@watkinsaward) March 11, 2018

At Solorio Academy, Patterson carries a 4.7 grade-point average while taking several advanced placement courses for college credit and earning membership in the National Honor Society. He volunteers for several causes, shoveling sidewalks for the elderly, tutoring elementary school students in the classroom and the finer points of football as well as working with the mentally disabled. He was named Illinois All-State and Illinois All-Academic, among many other honors. He has signed to play for Virginia Tech, where he aspires to be the Hokies’ first quarterback to major in engineering.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Patterson said. “I definitely didn’t expect to be standing here.”

Patterson played for head coach Matthew Erlenbaugh at Solorio Academy. This past summer, Patterson was the quarterback MVP at Nike’s The Opening Regional en route to earning an invitation to participate in Elite 11, the nation’s premier quarterback competition, in Beaverton, Oregon. As a junior at Solorio Academy, Patterson threw for 1,359 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,146 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Congrats to @watkinsaward winner Quincy Patterson II from Chicago, being awarded at the 27th Annual Watkins Awards Gala!

— Watkins Award (@watkinsaward) March 11, 2018

The three other members of the Watkins Class of 2018 are Mataeo Durant of Plum Branch, South Carolina, who has signed with Duke University; Nick Petit-Frere of Tampa, Florida, who has signed with Ohio State University; and Shayne Simon of West Orange, New Jersey, who has signed with the University of Notre Dame.

The four student-athletes arrived in the Washington area earlier in the week and their itinerary included a trip to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture and a visit to Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore. They also participated in the Watkins Teen Summit on Leadership and Achievement on Saturday morning.

The finalists were selected based on their unweighted grade-point average, personal statement, extracurricular activities, community service and letters of recommendation. Sponsors of the event include Major Sponsor Under Armour, JMA Solutions, Peoples Financial Services, Wal-Mart, Dell Inc., Nash Management Group, Early Morning Software and Jostens Corporation, which produces the Watkins Award trophy and rings.

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE AND THE FRANKLIN D WATKINS MEMORIAL AWARD

The National Alliance of African American Athletes was founded in 1989 and its mission is to empower African American males through athletics, education and public programs. Since 1992, The Alliance has annually presented the Watkins Award to the nation’s elite high school student-athlete. The award is named for the late Franklin D. Watkins, who coached championship football and basketball teams in Harrisburg, Pa. Past winners include Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle, as well as several others who went on to play in the NFL.

For updates on Virginia Tech football, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Football and on Instagram @HokiesFB