Oklahoma Sooners Receiver Sterling Shepard Accepted Disney Sports Spirit Award at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday

Filed in: College Sports, Disney Sports Spirit Award, The Home Depot College Football Awards Show

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Dec. 11, 2014) – Oklahoma Sooner receiver Sterling Shepard poses with Disney Sports executive Faron Kelley and the Disney Spirit Award trophy Thursday night during the Home Depot College Football Awards at Walt Disney World Resort.

Sterling and Sooners coach Bob Stoops were given the award during the show televised live on ESPN. The award is presented annually to college football’s most inspirational figure or team in college football.  Following the tragic death of former Sooners receiver and graduate assistant coach Derrick Shepard, Stoops selflessly became a father figure to Derrick Shepard’s six-year-old son Sterling Shepard and welcomed him into the Sooners family. In a remarkable twist of fate, that fatherless young boy grew into a superstar football player who, at the end of his high school career in suburban Oklahoma City, fittingly signed to play for the University of Oklahoma where he is among the top receivers in college football.

Shepard accepted the award for himself and Stoops who was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to his travel schedule.