Case Western Reserve University senior Cody Calhoun (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Watterson), a safety and kick returner for the football team, was selected as one of the 29 men's fall sport recipients of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which recognizes student-athletes with plans on attending graduate school for their athletic and academic achievements, along with their work in the community and demonstrated leadership.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, a $7,500 scholarship to be applied toward the graduate degree program of Calhoun's choice, is awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically, and are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The Association awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women. This season's NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients (29 men and 29 women) represent members of fall sports teams, including cross country, football, soccer, equestrian, field hockey, rugby, triathlon, women's volleyball and water polo.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports.
Calhoun is the sixth member of the CWRU football team to receive the scholarship, joining Christopher Nutter (1989), James Meek (1991), Santo Maimone (2006), Joey Baum (2011) and Dayton Snyder (2015). He is the 27th student-athlete in CWRU athletics history overall to claim the honor.
Calhoun was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team and the Academic All-District team earlier in the year. A Biology/Pre-Medicine major with a 4.00 cumulative grade point average, he has been named to the Academic All-University Athletic Association Team on three occasions, and selected to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Honor Roll three times. Calhoun was also a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, and is a two-time inductee into CWRU's Van Horn Society.
On the field, Calhoun has served as a team co-captain for the past two seasons, leading a unit that led the PAC in 2017 with the fewest points allowed (17.8, 44th in DIII) and fewest yards allowed (289.6, 32nd in DIII). He recorded a career-high 73 tackles (40 solo) during the 2017 campaign, including 4.5 for a loss, with a fumble forced, a fumble recovery, an interception, three pass breakups and a blocked kick. In addition, he was the team's primary kick returner, averaging 21.8 yards per return. He ended his career with 137 total tackles (78 solo) and four interceptions, while his 23.66 yards per kick return over his career ranked as the third-most in program history.
Calhoun was selected to both the All-UAA First Team and the All-PAC Second Team in 2017. He has previously been named to the All-UAA First Team as both a safety and a kick returner in 2015, and to the Second Team as a kick returner as a freshman in 2014, in addition to earning All-PAC Second Team honors as a kick returner and an honorable mention as a defensive back in 2015. Calhoun was named the UAA Player of the Week on three occasions this season.
Calhoun serves as president of Case Western Reserve's chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and received the Charles Collins Award from the national organization for outstanding leadership and service. He has been actively engaged in the local community through volunteer efforts as a patient ambassador at University Hospitals (UH) Seidman Cancer Center, served as a buddy with Special Olympics and assisted Project Sunshine with its annual Under the Sea Carnival at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital.
The Spartans finished the 2017 with an 11-1 record, going a perfect 10-0 during the regular season and winning both the PAC and UAA Championships. Case Western Reserve qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships for the fourth time in program history during the campaign, and defeated Illinois Wesleyan 28-0 in the first round for the second postseason win in program history.