UL sweeps State Athletes of the Year honors – Tyrell Fenroy and Ashley Brignac Honored

UL’s Fenroy and Brignac earn the Corbett Award

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • June 4, 2009

Courtesy: RaginCajuns.com http://www.ragincajuns.com

Tyrell Fenroy and Ashley Brignac will bring home some heavy hardware this weekend courtesy of the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.

Fenroy, who completed his collegiate football career at UL last fall, will receive the James J. Corbett Memorial Award as Louisiana’s top male amateur athlete in 2008. Brignac, a standout pitcher for the Cajun softball team, will be honored as the state’s top female amateur athlete for the same year.

"That’s absolutely fantastic news," said UL athletic director David Walker. "Both of them are extremely deserving of that award. They’re both outstanding athletes and outstanding people."

The Corbett Award was created in 1967 to commemorate the many contributions to intercollegiate athletics and the Sugar Bowl by the late administrator and former LSU athletic director James J. Corbett.

Fenroy and Brignac will be honored at the organization’s annual banquet on Saturday at the Superdome. Past Corbett Award winners include 14 NFL players, eight Olympians, six Major League Baseball players, four NBA players, three WNBA players and one PGA Tour golfer.

As a senior in 2008, Fenroy was voted the Sun Belt Conference’s Player of the Year and finished as the all-time rushing leader in state history with 4,646 yards. The LaPlace native became the seventh player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards four times and established school and Sun Belt records for career rushing yards and career rushing touchdowns.

Fenroy was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award given to the nation’s top running back and was the 2008 Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Offensive Player of the Year. In his final year with the Cajuns, he led the league in rushing and scoring and set single-season school marks for rushing yards (1,375) and rushing touchdowns (19). His No. 32 jersey number was retired before his final home game as the Cajuns fell just short of their first bowl berth since 1970.

"It’s a tremendous award, especially when you consider all the programs and talent in the state," said UL head football coach Rickey Bustle. "He is a tremendous young man and is definitely deserving of that award."

After getting passed over in April’s NFL draft, Fenroy signed with the Chicago Bears but was later released. His agent is still trying to find Fenroy a spot on another team. If he is unable to sign in the NFL, there have been inquiries and interest from teams in the Canadian Football League.

"It’s been a long haul for guys like him waiting for the draft and then waiting to find a team," Bustle said. "I think Tyrell will be playing somewhere next year, whether it’s in the NFL or the CFL."

Brignac exploded onto the college scene as a freshman in 2008, helping UL advance to the Women’s College World Series.

The right-hander, who won the organization’s female amateur athlete award for greater New Orleans as a senior at John Curtis High, won 31 games and struck out 327 batters in 228 innings in her first season at UL. She set a career high with 15 strikeouts in a 3-2 win over top-ranked Florida on the first day of the Women’s College World Series.

Brignac was named to the NFCA All-South Region second team, Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, first team all-conference and Sun Belt tournament Most Valuable Player in 2008 after signing with the Cajuns as the nation’s top recruit.

"I’m so excited to be honored, and I’m excited that Tyrell Fenroy got the award, too," said Brignac, who missed most of the 2009 season with a shoulder injury. "It’s a great honor for us to both represent UL by winning this award."

This past season, Brignac went 8-3 with a 0.44 ERA in 14 appearances as the Cajuns won the Sun Belt regular season and league tournament crowns and reached the Waco Regional.

"Ashley chose to come here over schools from all over the country because she wanted a chance to compete while wearing the name Louisiana across her chest," said UL softball coach Stefni Lotief. "She’s gotten a chance to do that and has done a lot for us."

Brignac recently turned down an invitation to the 2009 USA Softball Women’s National Team Selection Camp, which will be held next week in California. Instead, she will rehab her shoulder this summer at her home in River Ridge outside New Orleans.

"I’ve talked with my parents and coaches and decided not to attend the tryout," Brignac said. "I’m not 100 percent, so I didn’t think it was smart to test it. They support my decision. Now I’m going to do my best to get my shoulder better for next season."