Doris Robinson Award Finalist: SDSU’s Mark Gronowski

A diverse, talented group of 13 FCS college football players are finalists for the 2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, now in its 10th anniversary season. In November, each finalist is being profiled on TheAnalyst.com for his excellence both on and off the field.

South Dakota State’s Mark Gronowski has solidified his spot as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in FCS history.

The senior has led the Jackrabbits to a 44-5 record as their starting quarterback, including back-to-back FCS national titles while earning the championship game’s Most Outstanding Player award. The 2023 Walter Payton Award recipient as the FCS national offensive player of the year, he also excels off the field, which has led him to being a finalist for the 2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award.

The 10th annual award, named after the late schoolteacher and the wife of legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson, is presented to a student-athlete in FCS college football who excels on the playing field, in the classroom and across the community. Gronowski is one of 13 finalists – one from each NCAA Division I FCS conference.

The winner will be announced on Dec. 10 and honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. (Here’s a look at FCS National Awards history).

Mark Gronowski has thrived as a youth flag football coach for the past five years through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). He is also a student leader for the FCA Council and serves as an FCA camp counselor. His service extends to the Special Olympics, where he has been a volunteer for the event. He has been a representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three years.

He graduated this past May with a 3.76 grade-point average in mechanical engineering. Gronowski utilized his degree to serve his community as a member of the Engineering Department’s senior design team. He helped build a low-cost prosthetic for Third World and war-torn countries.

Gronowski’s on-field accolades receive plenty of attention, but his success extends to the classroom. He was nominated for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy, awarded annually to the top scholar-athlete in all divisions of college football.

“He’s a well-rounded individual. It’s not just football,” SDSU coach Jimmy Rogers said. “He’s really good in school. He’s going to have success when football’s done for him.”

Gronowski’s Doris Robinson Award candidacy includes:

On the Field

• 2023 Walter Payton Award recipient
• Three-time All-MVFC selection with nearly 11,000 yards of total offense and 114 total touchdowns in his career
• Earned Stats Perform First-Team All-America honors in 2023

In the Classroom

• Earned a 3.76 cumulative GPA in Mechanical Engineering before graduating in Spring 2024
• Named the FCS Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023
• Two-time MVFC Scholar-Athlete selection

In the Community

• Has served as a youth flag football coach for five years with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Member of a design team that developed a low-cost prosthetic for Third World countries
• Volunteered as a FCA Camp counselor and student leader for FCA Council

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, Texas A&M-Commerce, 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, DL (Pioneer Football League)

Ben Sahakian, Cornell, LB (Ivy League)

Dan Toatley, Central Connecticut State, DL (Northeast Conference)

Juan Velarde, North Carolina Central, P (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)

Follow all of our FCS football coverage, including on X, Facebook and Instagram.