Saturday's Army vs. Navy game features players on both sides who are true scholar-athletes, and for the 120th meeting between the Black Knights and Midshipmen on Saturday, two players were honored as the Scholar-Athletes of the Game presented by USAA. Earning the awards are Army offensive lineman Jack Sides and Navy slot back Travis Brannan.
Sides is majoring in law and legal studies and carries a 3.332 GPA. A starter for 11 games this season heading into the game vs. Navy, Sides was part on offensive line that helped Army mount the nation's No. 2 rushing attack at 311.7 rushing yards per game. Prior to attending Army, Sides was a standout at Highland Park High School in Dallas. As a senior, Sides learned his branch assignment last month of Air Defense Artillery.
Brannan, a slot back who also contributes on special teams, is majoring in ocean engineering and carries a 4.0 GPA. Brannan was named a first-team Academic All-American and was also a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation which recognizes an individual as "the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership." Brannan is a native of Austin, Texas, where he was a star at Vandegrift High School. As a senior, Brannan learned last month his service assignment will be as a Navy Pilot.
