KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the second time in three years, Tennessee football has produced an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient as offensive lineman Parker Ball has been awarded with the prestigious honor, the organization has announced.

Ball is the eighth Vol football student-athlete to earn the award, joining Matthew Butler (2021), Parker Henry (2018), Peyton Manning (1997), Tim Irwin (1980), Mike Mauck (1977), Tim Priest (1971) and Don Dembo (1971).

“I am extremely honored to be awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and represent our great university in such a positive light,” Ball said. “I want to thank everyone at Tennessee football and the Thornton Center for supporting me and pushing me to be the best I can be. I will continue to use my platform to promote hard work on the field, in the classroom and in our community.”

Ball, a native of Douglasville, Georgia, is entering his fifth season with the program in 2023 after serving as a contributor on the offensive line and in special teams units. Ball has played in every game the last two seasons and was part of an offensive line unit that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award last fall, as the Volunteers led the nation in total offense and scoring offense.

Off the field, Ball is a four-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll recipient majoring in therapeutic recreation. He is scheduled to graduate this summer and then begin working on his master’s degree. He is one of the Vols’ avid community service leaders.

The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association’s most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.

In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through graduate study.

-UT Athletics