Former Slippery Rock University football standout wide receiver Jaimire Dutrieuille was announced Wednesday as the recipient of the prestigious 2021 NCAA Award of Valor.
Dutrieuille, who starred on the Slippery Rock football team from 2012-15, will be presented with the Award of Valor during the annual NCAA Convention’s Honors Celebration next Wednesday, January 13th. The virtual celebration is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on the NCAA’s Twitter account and on the ESPN app.
The NCAA Award of Valor is one of five major awards handed out by the NCAA as part of its annual Honors Celebration. Dutrieuille will be the first recipient of the award since 2018 and will become just the 23rd award winner since the first Award of Valor was handed out in 1974.
The NCAA Award of Valor is presented to a coach or administrator currently associated with intercollegiate athletics, or to a current or former varsity letter-winner at an NCAA institution who, when confronted with a situation involving personal danger, averted or minimized potential disaster by courageous action or noteworthy bravery.
Dutrieuille was nominated by the SRU Athletic Communication Office after his courageous actions on the evening of May 28th, 2019 saved the life of a young girl. Dutrieuille was sitting on the front porch of a friend’s house when gunshots rang out. He used his body to shield a 9-year-old girl on the porch, taking three gunshot wounds, including one to the head, in the process.
He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors were able to save his life.
Dutrieuille made a full recovery, with the only exception being vision problems caused by a bullet that struck an optic nerve. Since the incident, he has turned his attention to helping youths in his hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania as part of Team Braddock, where he helps kids get involved with sports like football and basketball. He has also recommitted to finishing his degree and is on track to finish his final classes at Slippery Rock this month before earning his safety management degree.
At Slippery Rock, Dutruielle was an integral part of one of the top offensive units in the country between 2012-15. A two-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference performer, he finished his four-year career with 3,933 all-purpose yards and 27 total touchdowns. He still ranks sixth all-time at The Rock in all-purpose yardage and his 20 receiving touchdowns rank seventh all-time.
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