C.J. LeCroy of Isabella High School was named the recipient of the 2017 Class 1A Bryant-Jordan Scholar Athlete award during a ceremony in Birmingham on April 10.

LeCroy had already won Region 3 as part of the selection process and finished it off with the state nomination and $5,500 in scholarship money that accompanies the award.

The award recognizes a high school student in each classification that demonstrates a history of being well versed in both the classroom and in athletics.

LeCroy has played several sports during his time at Isabella, including being the kicker on the football team and specializing in the javelin throw, as a member of the Mustangs’ track and field program.

He set school records in football with a 44-yard field goal and career touchbacks, as well as in javelin with a distance of 164 feet and 4 inches.

“He’s not only a great student, but he can kick it a gazillion yards,” said Nelda LeCroy, C.J.’s mother and teacher at Isabella.

LeCroy has been given a preferred walk-on status to continue his football career at the next level, as a kicker for Birmingham-Southern’s football program.

He has maintained a sense of balance between practicing and studying throughout the years, which has led to a 4.31 GPA and a 33 on the ACT.

“They took a look at his test scores, GPA and athletic ability,” Nelda LeCroy said. “It was some steep competition.”

Science is the subject that LeCroy has developed a passion for and has plans of earning a major in physics at Birmingham-Southern College, before doing graduate work in engineering at another university.

“The school stuff came from them [parents] pushing me because they are both teachers, but the athletics I had to really put the time in myself.”

LeCroy first began taking an interest in kicking in eighth grade

“I was horrible at it when I first started,” LeCroy said. “It’s just the culmination of all the hours and hours of work out there coming to fruition.”

LeCroy is preparing to train Isabella’s next kicker during spring practice, as he hopes to share some of the aspects that he learned over time to make the ball go far and straight.

He thanked all the coaching staffs and faculty that he has had over the years for helping him along his path.

The Bryant-Jordan Scholar Athlete award has been handed out since 1989 and this year’s banquet took place in the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel’s conference hall.