What an awesome story this was. Below is a press release sent to media and posted on GoGriffons.com.



DALLAS (FWAA) - Missouri Western State University's Shane Simpson and Jack Long are the weekly nominees for the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. Simpson, a junior defensive back from Blue Springs, Mo., and Long, a senior defensive back from Parkville, Mo., rescued a toddler from a locked car on a 95-degree day last August.

Simpson and Long, starters and co-captains for the Griffons, were driving away from football practice August 23 when they noticed a woman beating on the window of a car.

'We thought maybe she had locked her keys in the car,' Long told the Associated Press, "but then thought that was kind of an extreme thing to do for keys."

Theresa Gall's 17-month-old grandson, Liam Snook, was locked in the car along with her keys. The toddler was throwing up and appeared to be losing consciousness. Using a hammer, Gall and others had been unable to break the car's window.

"We were hitting the glass as hard as we could and nothing," Gall told KSHB-TV. "All I could think was, 'God, please send somebody.'"

"The women came running out saying, 'My baby's in the car, help!'" Simpson told the St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press. "She gave me the hammer and said, 'Break the window.'"

Simpson needed one try to break the window. Liam was dehydrated, but made a full recovery. Simpson and Long left after Liam had been rescued, but returned a few moments later to check on him.

"It was just so remarkable," Gall told the News-Press. "Not only did they stop and save his life, but they came back. They came back because they knew about heatstroke and were worried about the little guy. I can‟t even really express how grateful I am."

Gall offered a monetary reward, which both players declined. A few days later, Liam and his grandmother attended a Griffons' practice, and then their season opener against Pittsburg State.

"I'm just glad," Simpson said, "I got to be able to do it."

For the sixth straight year, the Football Writers Association of America and the Discover Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee for the Discover Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award each Wednesday during the season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the award's recipient from those weekly nominees. The recipient of the Courage Award will be announced in December and presented with the trophy in conjunction with this year's Discover Orange Bowl.

The Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine's senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also an FWAA member. A select group of FWAA members vote on the recipient each year. The requirements for nomination include displaying courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship.

Previous winners of the FWAA's Courage Award are Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand (2010), the University of Connecticut football team (2009), Tulsa's Wilson Holloway (2008), Navy's Zerbin Singleton (2007), Clemson's Ray Ray McElrathbey (2006), the Tulane football team (2005), Memphis' Haracio Colen (2004), San Jose State's Neil Parry (2003) and Toledo's William Bratton (2002).

2011 Discover Orange Bowl Courage Award Nominees Sept. 28: Shane Blissard and Robbie Stewart, Middle Tennessee Oct. 5: Carson Tinker, Alabama Oct. 12: Blaine Irby, Texas Oct. 19: David Lerner, Florida Oct. 27: Mike James, Miami University Nov. 2: Arthur Ray Jr., Michigan State Nov. 16: Shane Simpson and Jack Long, Missouri