Mustang Football Player Sofen Takes Top National Football Federation Scholar Athlete Honor

Mira Costa’s senior punter/kicker Brendan Sofen was awarded the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award from the National Football Federation at a banquet held in March at the Radisson Hotel in Culver City.

Sofen, a senior who is Princeton bound, was honored along with teammates Brett Darragh and Derek Largent, who received "scholar athlete recognition" along with 63 student-athletes from the greater Los Angeles area.

Mustangs head football coach Don Morrow nominated players for the award, which recognizes the scholastic player who was voted outstanding in football performance, academic achievement and school leadership.

“No one was more surprised than I was when they made the announcement," said Sofen. "There are so many well-rounded guys who were very deserving also.” 

In addition to a medal of recognition, Sofen will be awarded $1,000 per year, which he expects to help pay for his school books.

Sofen had been told by Morrow in January that he was one of ten players being evaluated for the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.

A panel from the National Football Foundation interviewed nominees in February.

Sofen excelled in his interview and has many accolades: a 3.97 unweighted GPA and lofty test scores, including a 30 on the ACT.

In addition to his academic achievements, the Mustang specialist averaged nearly 38 yards per punt and led the Bay League in scoring, connecting on 75 percent of his field goal tries.

During the interview Sofen was asked about his football accomplishments, as well as the many extracurricular activities he was involved with during his high school career.

One of his service projects stands out. During Sofen’s sophomore year he acted as a driver for an elderly Catholic nun, Sister Mary Irene Flanagan of the American Martyrs Parish in Manhattan Beach.

“It was sort of like the film "Driving Miss Daisy"' but in my case, Miss Daisy wore a habit,” Sofen quipped.

The service project was an eye-opener and he forged a friendship with Flanagan, who was the subject of Sofen’s Princeton essay.

Sofen would drive Flanagan to appointments, for errands and anything else on the Saturday docket.

While helping her in and out of the vehicle, he found that she was in turn helping him learn more about life and himself on his “Saturdays With Sister.”

“Sister Flanagan is so sharp mentally and I learned that even though she is in her 80s and I am in my teens, we had so much in common, and our differences in age did not stop us from having long conversations about sports teams like the Lakers and Dodgers and beyond,” Sofen said.

Sofen is being considered for the National Football Foundation’s National Award, which is given out in December at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

He is a member of the California High School Federation Honor Roll, as well as president of Mira Costa’s Team L.A. Club, which raises money for a youth foundation and works with Los Angeles-based charities and sports teams such as the Lakers.

“I am very honored,"Sofen said. "This recognition for both off the field and incorporating football as well is definitely one of the high points of my high school career."

Speakers at the awards dinner included Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times and Alex Flanagan of the NFL Network. Honorees received a plaque with their names and achievement inscribed on it.

Student athletes from the following 35 high schools could be nominated: Bell Gardens, Pioneer, Redondo Union, Whittier Christian, Long Beach Poly, Loyola, St. John Bosco, Lakewood, Huntington Park, Warren, St. Anthony, Bishop Montgomery, Rolling Hills Prep, Los Altos, Mira Costa, Palos Verdes, Chadwick, Pacific Lutheran, Venice, West Torrance, El Segundo, Bell, Garfield, Roosevelt, Cypress, Wallis Annenberg, Peninsula, Brentwood, Diamond Bar, Academic Leadership Comm., Crenshaw, Hollywood, Dominguez, Junipero Serra and Gahr.