The FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award honors an FCS-level student-athlete who exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community. In the award’s 10th anniversary season, Juan Velarde becomes North Carolina Central’s second recipient.
Juan Velarde of North Carolina Central University has made his impact on the field as one of the top kicking specialists in FCS college football, but the senior’s commitment to making an impact off the field adds to him making a difference as a student-athlete.
From his advocacy in the Hispanic community to his presence in the local school system around the NCCU campus in Durham, Velarde serves as the blueprint for how a student-athlete can excel in many ways.
It’s led to Velarde being selected as the 2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary season, the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award honors an FCS student-athlete who exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community. The values embody the leadership and integrity championed by Doris Robinson, a former schoolteacher and the wife of legendary Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson.
Velarde, a punter and place-kicker, was selected from 13 Doris Robinson Award finalists – one from each conference involved in the Division I subdivision.
“Juan Velarde’s impact to North Carolina Central’s football team has simply been amazing,” Eagles head coach Trei Oliver said. “His leadership skills, his attitude, and, on the field, his production is second to none. Juan continues a legacy that North Carolina Central has with our motto: Truth and Service.”
Velarde has volunteered over 200 hours of community service, highlighted by his involvement at multiple Durham-area schools. He’s a member of the Neuse River Middle School Men’s Discussion Group and a CREAR (Culturally Responsive Engagement Articulation and Research) mentor.
His leadership off the field led to him being selected to speak at the U.S. Embassy in Peru during Hispanic Heritage Month. He also was a nominee for the Diamante Arts & Cultural Center Award for community engagement, was selected to lead a summer camp for the Student Success Agency in Arizona and been involved with the Son of a Saint mentoring program, in partnership with the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Velarde carries a 4.0 cumulative GPA as a master’s student in Business Administration. He is a University Honors Program and Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society member.
This season, the first-team All-MEAC selection led the conference in average yards per punt (44.8) and ranked fifth in scoring (58 points) while taking on place-kicking duties. He ended his 46-game career with a 40.6-yard average on 180 punts, with 27 traveling 50 or more yards and 58 going inside an opponent’s 20-yard line.
Velarde, also a Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award finalist in 2022 and ’23, joins former North Carolina Central teammate Jessie Malit (2020 season) as a recipient. He will be honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
In addition to the FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, the awards banquet will celebrate the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman Player of the Year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year) and the Urban Edge Network HBCU+ National Player of the Year Award.
2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists
- Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington, WR (Big Sky Conference)
- James Conway, Fordham, LB (Patriot League)
- Caleb Curtain, Elon, DB (CAA Football)
- Paxton DeLaurent, Southeast Missouri, QB (Big South-OVC Football Association)
- Jewelz-Unique Demps, East Texas A&M, DB (Southland Conference)
- Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State, QB (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
- Chandler Kirton, Austin Peay, OL (United Athletic Conference)
- Reuben Lowery III, Chattanooga, DB (Southern Conference)
- Matt Noll, Jackson State, P (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
- Julian Rawlins, Davidson, DE (Pioneer Football League)
- Ben Sahakian, Cornell, LB (Ivy League)
- Dan Toatley, Central Connecticut State, DL (Northeast Conference)
- Juan Velarde, North Carolina Central, PK/P (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Follow all of our FCS football coverage, including on X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
