CHICAGO, Ill. — Success on the field sets players apart from one another, but players who have success on and off the field can truly make a name for themselves.
Efton Chism III is an example, playing at the highest level in his senior season and earning recognition for his community and academic success. Chism was named as a finalist for the 2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete award.
The award honors an FCS student-athlete who exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community. 13 student-athletes from the FCS were included on the list, with Chism representing the Big Sky Conference.
The winner will be announced on Dec. 10 and honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. The 13 finalists will also be profiled by TheAnalyst.com in the lead up to the winner's announcement.
In his final season on the Red, Chism has separated himself as the top receiver in the Big Sky. He leads the conference with 864 receiving yards, 106 more than Idaho State's Christian Fredricksen for second on the leaderboard. Chism's 76 receptions is 27 clear of the Bengals' Jeff Weimer for second as well. With eight receiving touchdowns, Chism is tied for the lead with Weber State's Jacob Sharp. The senior averages 9.5 receptions per game and 108.0 yards.
Chism set a career-best this past Saturday against Idaho, with a 65 yard catch, breaking his previous best of 61 yards set the week prior against UC Davis.
On the national level, Chism is step-for-step with the FCS leaders. His receptions per game leads the nation, while his total yards and yards per game both rank second. Chism's eight receiving touchdowns is tied for fourth in the FCS. Chism averages 6.3 points per game that ranks 68th among all FCS players.
This season, Chism has four 100-plus yard receiving yards and 10 for his career. In the season opener against Monmouth, Chism set a career-best with 173 receiving yards and matching his career-best with three touchdowns. Against the Aggies two weeks ago, Chism set another career-best with 15 receptions.
Chism's 114 yards against the Vandals moved him into fourth on the EWU all-time receiving yards list, passing Aaron Boyce and he has 3405 career yards.
The Monroe, Wash. native became only the second receiver in Eastern Washington history to have 300 receptions after seven catches this past week, joining Cooper Kupp. Chism has 302 total career receptions and averages 6.16 receptions per game, second only to Kupp.
For his career, Chism has found the endzone 32 times, placing him in a tie for fifth all-time with Shaq Hill.
Chism's commitment of excellence has transferred to the classroom during his time at Eastern. Chism is a four-time Big Sky All-Academic Team honoree. He earned an FCS Academic All-Star selection from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in the 2023 season. He holds a 3.93 cumulative GPA for his academic career as an Eagle.
Adding to his commitment to excellence, Chism takes pride in his community service and his work with charities.
Chism is involved with Big Heart, Big Smile charity. The charity's mission is to help kids in need who are dealing with grief or trauma. with various projects including sponsorship of local youth sports, Kaci's Annual 5K Kaci's Backpack Project, Kaci's Kindness Cards, Kaci's Big Toy Give Away, along with an annual college scholarship awarded to a senior at Monroe High School(Monroe, Wash.). Big Hear, Big Smile also brings kids out at the Big Smile Ranch where kids can enjoy farm animals, event center, playground and sports fields.
Another cause Chism devotes himself to is helping kids dealing with cancer. Chism works with Alex's Lemonade Stand, which helps to fund impactful research, raising awareness and supporting families. The charity is the largest independent childhood cancer charity in the U.S. and funded more than 1,500 cutting-edge research projects. It has supported nearly 30,000 families with programs that help cover costs of treatments for their kids.
Chism and Eastern Washington host No. 2 Montana State on Saturday (Nov. 2) at 1 p.m.
About the Doris Robinson Award
The Doris Robinson Award is celebrating its 10th anniversary season and is awarded to a student-athlete who values embody the leadership and integrity championed by Doris Robinson, a former schoolteacher and the wife of legendary Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson.
The collaboration between FedEx and the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award underscores a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of student-athletes, ensuring they are well-prepared for success beyond their collegiate careers. Through the Doris Robinson Award and the Career Expose – College Pathways Program, FedEx continues to invest in the future of young leaders, providing them with the tools and resources needed to thrive in the professional world.
Season and single game tickets for the 2024 football season are now available. Ticket packages can be purchased online via your Paciolan account, over the phone at 509-359-6059, or by emailing tickets@ewu.edu.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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