USF's Jimmy Baxter Named NCAA Valor Award Winner

Jimmy Baxter

Jimmy Baxter, a men's basketball and track & field student-athlete at the University of South Florida, has earned the 2004 NCAA Award of Valor for his heroic efforts, while Heather Denison, a volleyball student-athlete at the University of Portland, Emily Miller, a former soccer athlete at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and Mike Nyeholt, a former swimmer at the University of Southern California, are named the 2004 NCAA Inspiration Award recipients as role models of perseverance.

The NCAA will present the awards to the four recipients during its Honors Dinner at the NCAA Convention, January 11, 2004, in Nashville, Tennessee.

The NCAA Award of Valor recognizes a coach, administrator or current or former student-athlete who when confronted with a situation involving personal danger, averted or minimized the potential disaster by courageous action or noteworthy bravery.


Jimmy Baxter
Last December, while driving from Tampa to St. Petersburg to visit his father on a chilly, rainy night, Baxter spotted an overturned automobile in a drainage ditch and immediately pulled to the side of the road to assist. What Baxter found was two men trapped in the car with the water level rising at an alarming speed. Baxter returned to the interstate in search of additional help from passing motorists. Though several cars passed him as he waved his arms, Baxter eventually managed to flag down a motorist who gave him a crowbar to break the car windows. Baxter rushed back to the partially submerged automobile, broke one of the windows and was able to pull both the men to safety.

In the car were a father and his son who were en route to their house located just a few miles away. The family considered Baxter's act of heroism yet another miracle in their lives. Baxter later learned that the family was originally from war-stricken Bosnia, but was able to come to the U.S. in search of a better life and freedom.

Baxter, a native of St. Petersburg, is completing his senior year at South Florida and plans to graduate with a degree in criminology.