Sanders earns Liberty’s highest athletics honor

Senior point guard Jesse Sanders was honored today at Liberty University’s Convocation, as he was named the 2012 Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award winner, the University’s highest athletics honor.

The annual award was presented to Sanders by Liberty University Director of Athletics Jeff Barber and Manuel Rivera, brother of Mac Rivera.

In 1975, the Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award was established to honor the top graduating senior student-athlete at Liberty University who best exemplifies the standards and lives of both of these great Christian men. Rock Royer was Liberty’s first football coach in 1973. Mac Rivera was a member of Liberty’s basketball team from 1972 until 1975. Both Rock Royer and Mac Rivera tragically died at a young age, with Royer dying in a plane crash and Rivera passing away after a fall.

This award encompasses more than just athletic ability. It recognizes the Liberty University graduating senior student-athlete who has maintained an exemplary testimony on the playing field, in the classroom and among the student body.

Sanders has posted a 3.36 GPA during his four years at Liberty. In addition to being named to the dean’s list on three occasions, the Sugar Land, Texas native is also a three-time Big South Presidential Honor and was a member of the conference’s all-academic team this past season.

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