Kelly Wilson continues to leave a legacy at the Longhorn women's soccer program not only for her on-the-field contributions as an All-American and a star in the U.S. National Soccer program, but for her dedication to academics as well. In addition to being named a three-time, All-Big 12 First Team selection as a forward, Wilson also has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll four consecutive years.

Last spring, UT's first soccer All-American was honored with the UT Women's Athletics Big 12 Scholar-Athlete Award, given each year to the student-athlete who best exemplifies the greatest combination of achievement in athletics, academics and leadership.

"For four years, Kelly has set a great example for the other members of our team," said head soccer coach Chris Petrucelli. "She has succeeded both on and off the field because she is very diligent with her academics and also works extremely hard on the soccer end of it. She is the epitome of what you want in a student-athlete."

On the soccer field, Wilson has been a two-time Nordic Cup performer - playing in the elite tournament as part of the USA national soccer program. Kelly was selected as a 2004 candidate for the FIFA Women's Player of the Year, and was named a First-Team All-American by Soccer Buzz Magazine. She and teammate Kelly McDonald have been named to the 2004 Hermann Trophy 'Watch List' as leading candidates for National Player of the Year honors. The Hermann Trophy is regarded as the Heismann Trophy is in collegiate football - as the highest level of individual achievement in the sport.

In the record books, Wilson holds the UT single-season record for points in a season (38). Currently, she leads the 2004 Longhorns (after seven games) with 17 points, including a team-best seven goals.

And, Wilson continues to garner praise from her head coach.

"Kelly is just one of those people the other players have looked up to since her arrival on campus, and she has had an impact on the lives of everybody on our team," Petrucelli said. "In my mind, she's the student-athlete of every month. Her impact on our program is going to be felt for a very long time."

The Wilson File
· candidate for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award
· 2003 and 2004 U.S. Under-21 Nordic Cup Team
· Herman Trophy Award finalist in 2002; semifinalist in 2003; candidate for the honor in 2004
· selected as All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association (2002) and Soccer Buzz (2003)
· three-time NSCAA All-Region team
· three-time First Team All-Big 12
· 2003-04 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
· three-year Academic All-Big 12 First Team
· 2003-04 UT Athletics Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
· three-year Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree

Most fans recognize Derrick Johnson - known simply as "DJ" - as one of the premier football players in the nation who headlines UT's dominating defense. What few know is that Johnson also excels in the classroom and is a member of the Longhorn Leaders program; a group of Longhorn Student-Athletes who mentor adolescents in at-risk schools. And, Johnson balances all these demands, because, as football head coach Mack Brown states, he sets the standards as a model young man.

"Derrick has been a model person for us," stated Brown. "He has never been late to a meeting, and he has started every game since Texas Tech his freshmen year. Derrick has been a great player who has lived up to the high standard that everybody set for him when he was younger."

And, in meeting these high standards, Johnson has accumulated countless achievements for his outstanding play on the field, such as being named the 2004 Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, a 2003 consensus All-American, and a 2003 finalist for the Dick Butkus award, which is awarded to the nation's top collegiate linebacker.

After the first two games of the 2004 season, Johnson leads the Longhorns with 18 tackles (12 solo), and has accumulated 346 tackles (220 solo) in his three-plus seasons with the Longhorns. Johnson is also tied for the UT career record for interceptions by a linebacker with eight.

Additionally, Johnson has shown that his skills extend further than the football field by being named to the University of Texas Athletic Director's Honor Roll for academics.

"Becoming the Student-Athlete of the Month, Derrick shows you that he's a guy who could graduate in four years," Brown said. "A lot of that goes back to his mom being a teacher. His mom would be a lot harder on him about his books than we would be about his football!"

The Johnson File
· 2004 Preseason National Defensive Player of the Year by Lindy's, Athlon and Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
· candidate for 2004 Butkus Award (as nation's top linebacker)
· Lindy's pick as the top NFL prospect entering 2004
· 2003 consensus First Team All-American (by AP, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Football Foundation)
· 2003 Butkus Award finalist; 2002 Butkus Award semifinalist
· 2003 and 2004 Preseason All-American
· two-time All-Big 12 First Team (2002, 2003)
· The Sporting News' National Freshman of the Year (2001)