BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell senior offensive lineman
Austin Blake has been presented with the 2022 Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award by the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A).
The N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award honors student-athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. These individuals have persevered and made significant personal strides toward success.
Austin arrived at Campbell University and immediately made an impact on the football field. However, in 2020, Austin was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disorder that damages nerves. He spent three to four months at Shepherd Center, where he endured a very intense rehab schedule to relearn basic human movements and functions. Austin experienced some complications from GBS, including being diagnosed with CIDP, a chronic form of BS, but he continued to fight to get back on the field.
Even though he spent a majority of that semester in outpatient rehab, he completed coursework so he would not fall behind in his classes. When he got back to school, he decided to change his major to healthcare management so he could one day start his own rehab facility. By the 2021 season, Austin was back on the football field.
He was honored along with fellow 2022 Wilma Rudolph recipients Riley Clark, University of Maine; Mary Griffin, Virginia Tech; Taylor Robertson, University of Dayton; and Jack Winkler, Michigan State University in conjunction with the 2022 N4A Convention on June 27.
