Fernandina Beach's Nevaeh Morris is a finalist for Naismith Courage Award
FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA – Fernandina Beach High School senior Nevaeh Morris has been named a finalist for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award. Morris, who overcame the loss of her close friend, mentor, and teammate in a tragic plane crash, was selected as one of 10 finalists after a nomination process that saw hundreds of entries from coaches, parents, and athletic directors across the country.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, which administers the Naismith Awards, celebrating high school and college basketball’s most prestigious national awards, will announce a female winner and a male winner on March 7. The Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award recognizes a high school basketball player who has consistently gone above and beyond throughout the basketball season and has demonstrated courage in their approach to their team, school, and community.
In addition to be an inspirational leader on the Fernandina Beach girls basketball team, Navaeh Smith (right) was honored as her school's Homecoming Queen back in November.
Photo by Beth Jones/News Leader
Morris was nominated by her basketball coach, Jonathan Ball, who explained how Morris struggled with an unstable home life when he met her as a sophomore during the 2020-21 school year. Morris formed a bond with a senior on the team named Lexi George, who took Morris under her wing. Two weeks following her graduation in 2021, George tragically died in a single-engine plane crash. As the community mourned their loss, Morris took on a leadership role on and off the court. Inspired by her mentor, Morris joined the school’s HOPE squad to help counsel other students going through difficult times. She is now planning to attend college to study nursing.
“Once again, as nominations came in, we learned of so many inspirational stories about courageous high school basketball student-athletes across the country who are role models for others,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We are thrilled to celebrate Nevaeh as one of our 10 finalists for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award, as she exemplifies all this award stands for.”
For the two final winners, Jersey Mike’s will make a $2,000 donation to the players’ high school basketball programs in their honor and reward each overall winner with an additional $2,000 per student. Winners will be recognized at their school and through a video tribute shared across the Naismith Trophy and Jersey Mike’s websites and social media accounts.
“All of us at Jersey Mike’s are honored to participate in this award and recognize exceptional acts of courage,” said Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “Congratulations to the 10 finalists. You and your community should be proud of what you’ve been able to accomplish in the face of adversity.”
For more information about the winners, visit www.astudentabove.com.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS Jersey Mike’s Subs, with nearly 2,500 locations nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflected in its mission statement “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), and Twitter (twitter.com/jerseymikes.com).
