Nate Rawls

Linebacker, Marvin Ridge High School

The High School Leadership Award honors a senior player who demonstrates exceptional leadership on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. This year’s Leadership Award goes to Nate Rawls, a middle linebacker from Marvin Ridge High School.

A natural leader, Rawls is a two-time Team Captain, a four-year Varsity Letterman, and was named to the 2022 SCC All-Conference team and 2022 All-Union County Team.

Rawls has amassed 229 career tackles and 2 interceptions during his playing career while actively mentoring younger teammates and JV players. Rawls is described as “old school” someone who plays hard and focuses on doing anything to help the team succeed. Rawls is respectful to officials and is a true role model on how a player should conduct themselves on and off the field.

Rawls has also distinguished himself in the classroom as a member of the AB Honor Roll, National Honor Society, National Society of High School Seniors, and an NCHSAA Scholar Athlete.

Off the gridiron, Rawls is a Manager at Sams Xpress Car Wash, a volunteer at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, and a volunteer with Operation Sandwich where he makes meals for Charlotte Urban Ministries.

The Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Touchdown Club are pleased to present Nate Rawls with the High School Leadership Award.

The Award:

The Charlotte Touchdown Club believes the sport of football teaches young men the very fundamentals that inspire the growth of our future leaders. The High School Leadership Award was created to honor a high school senior football player who demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The winner’s school will receive a $2,000.00 honorarium, directed to the Athletic Department, in the name of the award recipient.

Award Criteria:

All applicants must be in their senior year of high school football and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5. Each applicant will be evaluated on these five benchmarks:

• Exemplifies principals of character, integrity, excellence and teamwork.
• Motivates and inspires the athletes around him to accomplish more than they would have normally.
• Actively shares responsibility, authority, information and credit when working towards the achievement of a goal.
• Communicates in a manner which is fair, straightforward, honorable and open.
• Sets a high standard of integrity by leading through example and maintains high personal standards.

The winner is chosen by a review panel selected by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and recognized with a trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Awards Presentation in December.