Gators Punter with Crohn's Nominated for Courage Award

by Brett Shamosh

David Lerner, walk-on punter for the Florida Gators who won the starting job after being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, was just nominated for the Discover Orange Bowl Courage Award (link to full story below). I've come to know David and his family in recent months and can tell you that this is a well-deserved nomination. Yes, David was diagnosed with Crohn's and battled through his sickness to win the starting job as punter for a top tier college football program. But that's a tiny part of David's courage. Prior to last summer, David barely knew what Crohn's Disease was. Today, he finds time in his busy schedule to hop on the phone with kids who share his diagnosis. For this and many other reasons, David will also be honored later this year by the New York Chapter of the CCFA (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America - details to come).

I hope that when my 3-year-old son is 22, he has a similar grasp on the important things in life (I also hope he can punt like David). David Lerner was given a crushing medical diagnosis in the middle of some happy years as student-athlete at a top tier college program. He took it on the chin, won the starting punter job and immediately started to help those with his disease. So the next time you hear someone snicker that punters are soft, tell them about David Lerner.

You can read the full story about David's nomination here and see a video about David below.

Meet David Lerner