KALAMAZOO, Mich. –  On Tuesday, Western Michigan redshirt senior offensive guard Mike Caliendo has been named a nominee for the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy. The award is known as college football's premier award for community service.
Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded annually to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. 
 
Last fall, Bronco quarterback Jon Wassink was presented with the Wuerffel Trophy. Wassink joined former Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller (2009) as Wuerffel Trophy winners. WMU and Oklahoma are the only schools with multiple recipients.
 
A 6-foot-4, 300-pound Brookfield, Wis., product, Caliendo is a preseason first team All-Mid-American Conference honoree by Phil Steele and second team by Athlon Sports. Caliendo was also named to the Outland Trophy Watch List, an award presented to the nation's top interior lineman.
 
Off the field, Caliendo was a first team CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 honoree in 2019. He is a three-time Academic All-MAC (2017-18-19) selection and three-time MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete (2017-18-19). In addition to his candidacy for the Wuerffel Trophy, Caliendo is Western Michigan's nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for excellence in community service.
 
Caliendo graduated from Western Michigan in December with a 3.90 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) and a degree in biomedical sciences. He owns a 4.00 GPA as a master's student in biomedical sciences and is applying to medical schools. Off campus, Caliendo has taken part in a variety of community service projects, including working with Ministry with Community, Kalamazoo Gospel Mission and YWCA.

Nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy are made by the respective universities' Sports Information Departments and closed on November 2. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 29 and finalists will be announced on December 8.

The formal announcement of the 2020 recipient is anticipated to be made the week of December 26 – January 2. The presentation of the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy is scheduled to occur at the 52^nd All Sports Association Award Banquet on February 20, 2021 in Niceville, Fla.