Student trainers receive Weber, Ferrell Scholarships

FAYETTEVILLE– Five University of Arkansas graduate students received athletic training scholarships honoring longtime Razorback athletic trainers Dean Weber and the late Bill Ferrell.The Weber scholarship and one of the five Ferrell scholarships were awarded to Jon Hochstetler of Mackinaw, Ill. Four additional Ferrell scholarship were presented to Kurt Andrews of Rochester, Mich., Taylor Ludy of Kirkland, Wash., Hillary Plummer of Snellville, Ga., and Brittany Widman of Blaine, Minn."The athletic training education program and faculty want to express their sincere appreciation and gratitude for the generosity of the endowed Weber/Ferrell Athletic Training Scholarships," said Jeff Bonacci, director of the program. "This scholarship gift has provided the needed monies for athletic training students to continue their graduate education at the University of Arkansas.” As part of their clinical rotation for the fall semester, Andrews, Ludy and Widman each work with the Razorback football team. Hochstetler works with UA’s track program, while Plummer is doing her clinical rotation with the Razorbacks softball team. The Weber scholarship is given to the top student in the athletic training education program, a graduate degree program in Arkansas’ College of Education and Health Professions. The 1979 Razorbacks football team created the award in honor of Weber, who is now the director of equipment operations in the department of athletics. Soon after, the Razorback Foundation and Jim Lindsey created the Ferrell award in memory of longtime athletic trainer and baseball coach, the late Bill Ferrell. “This support signifies the respect that former Arkansas athletes have for both Dean Weber and Bill Ferrell as well as their appreciation for the outstanding health care that they provided for all of their student-athletes," Bonacci said.The Razorback A Club and Lindsey worked together to raise money in memory of Ferrell. Lindsey, former chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees and a member of the 1964 National Championship football team, agreed to match the money raised by the club members.The five recipients were recognized during a pregame event Oct. 23, before the Razorbacks 38-24 win over Ole Miss.