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Kaleb Barker of Troy University, Josh Paschal of the University of Kentucky and Isaiah Pola-Mao of the University of Southern California Named 2019 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award Nominees
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ROCHESTER, Minn. — The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization, have selected three college football student-athletes—
Kaleb Barker of Troy University,
Josh Paschal of the University of Kentucky and
Isaiah Pola-Mao of the University of Southern California—as the first of 30 nominees for the
2019 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Ten times during the 2019 college football season, three inspiring student-athletes from all levels of college football, who have overcome injury, illness or other challenges, will be recognized as
Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Nominees by a panel of writers, editors and sports information directors from CoSIDA, AP and
Touchdown Illustrated. CoSIDA members can nominate student-athletes at
Comeback-Player.com.
At the end of the season, three of the nominees will be chosen as
Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award winners and will be recognized at a special ceremony during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Additionally, $30,000 will be donated in the names of the nine student-athletes selected as finalists to their school’s general scholarship fund, with $15,000 being awarded in the names of the three winners and $15,000 on behalf of the six named honorable mention.
For more details, follow on social media at @ComebackPlayrFB and #MayoClinicCPOY, or visit
www.Comeback-Player.com. Here’s a look at this week’s nominees:
Kaleb Barker, a senior quarterback at Troy University, was on pace to break many of the school’s records before an ACL injury on October 4 versus Georgia State ended his season after six games. Despite playing just half the season, the Decatur, Ala., native led the Trojans to a 5-1 record by completing 73 percent of his passes and rushing 261 yards. Less than 11 months removed from surgery, Barker was back under center for the first game of the season and didn’t miss a beat, going 18-29 for 282 yards and two TDs in the 43-14 opening week win versus Campbell University.
Josh Paschal, a sophomore defensive lineman for the University of Kentucky, was poised for a breakthrough season in 2018 after playing in all 13 games as a freshman. Unfortunately, he was forced to miss most of UK’s memorable 2018 season when, in July, a dot on his left foot was diagnosed as malignant melanoma. After undergoing three surgeries and ongoing monthly immunotherapy treatments, the Prince George’s County, Md., native returned on a limited basis for the team’s final three games. He opened this season as a starter on the defensive line and made his presence felt immediately, recording four tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in the Wildcats’ 38-24 win versus Toledo. He followed that up with five tackles, including two tackles for a loss in the Wildcats’ 38-17 win over Eastern Michigan. With his health scare behind him, Paschal now uses his platform to speak about his faith and bring melanoma awareness.
Isaiah Pola-Mao, a sophomore safety at the University of Southern California, suffered a dislocated shoulder during USC’s second game of the 2018 season versus Stanford, the same injury that ended his freshman campaign the year earlier. Coming off the pair of shoulder surgeries, the Phoenix, Ariz., native, and nephew of NFL great Troy Polamalu, sealed the Trojans’ 31-23 victory against Fresno State by intercepting a pass from Bulldogs quarterback Jorge Reyna in the end zone with just 1:45 remaining in the game. Beyond the game-clinching play, he also recorded five tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss. The following week, he recorded four tackles in USC’s impressive 45-20 win over Stanford.
“We understand how challenging it can be for student-athletes to return from injury or illness,” says Dr. Michael Stuart, co-director for Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. “We are honored to be part of this award that recognizes qualities like motivation, determination and perseverance.”
Last season,
Antwan Dixon of Kent State University,
Seth Simmer of Dartmouth College and
Antonio Wimbush of Carson-Newman University were named the inaugural
Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award Winners. The six student-athletes recognized as honorable mentions last season were:
David Blough (Purdue University),
Eric Dungey (Syracuse University),
Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech),
Josh Poplar (Tennessee Tech),
Sam Shook (Ohio Northern University) and
Austin Tillman (Washburn University).
About Mayo Clinic: Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit comprehensive organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic.
Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.
About CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America): CoSIDA was founded in 1957 and is a 3,000+ member national organization comprised of the sports public relations, media relations and communications/information professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. The organization is the second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics. To learn more, visit
cosida.com.
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Media Contacts
Doug Drotman (
doug@drotmanpr.com or 631-462-1198)
Doug Vance (
dougvance@cosida.com or 785-691-7708)