Posted by Sean Flynt on 2009-03-30

Samford University senior Nathan Troost was named large market sportscaster of the year at the annual awards banquet for the Alabama Broadcasters Association. Troost, a Journalism and Mass Communication major from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., does much of the sports reporting and programming for Samford's WVSU 91.1 radio station.

Troost was in competition with all of the professional sportscasters in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile. ""For a student to win a statewide competition among professionals is almost unheard of, but it speaks to Nathan's talent and work ethic," said WVSU general manager Andy Parrish.

Troost said he was surprised and humbled by the honor, and he emphasized the role of faith in his work. "I have to defer any sort of glory I might receive from this to God because I do my best to try to live my life for His glory, not my own, and that includes my sportscasting."

Accepting the award before a room full of potential employers, Troost noted that he is a graduating senior in search of a job. The audience laughed, but Parrish said the award really could make a significant difference for Troost. "In a profession where experience means everything, Nathan will enter a tough job market with a head start on other graduates."

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.