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Iowa State University Athletics
ISU Announces Recipients Of Nick Bassett And Coach Bray 58 Awards
08.27.2026 | Football
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coach Jimmy Rogers has continued a pair of important traditions in his first season, awarding the annual Nick Bassett Perseverance Award to Cody Jackson, while Jack Janikowski received the Coach Bray 58 Award last weekend.
The recipient of both awards will wear a helmet sticker signifying the honor.
Coach Bray 58 Award
Jack Janikowski, in his first season at ISU after transferring in from Washington State, is the 2026 recipient of the Coach Bray 58 Award.
Janikowski, a redshirt junior from Fallbrook, California, will wear a helmet decal honoring Coach Curtis Bray, who passed away in 2014 from a pulmonary embolism.
Previously, the jersey No. 58 was awarded and worn by the player being recognized with the Coach Bray 58 Award. For Janikowski, however, his No. 93 jersey plays an important role in the Heather Janikowski Foundation, which was created to honor his late mother.
Bray's presence is still felt inside the Bergstrom Football Complex. Bray, who was a tremendous example for many young men inside the program, was on the Cyclone coaching staff for five seasons (2009-13) under head coach Paul Rhoads.
For the fifth year, the Curtis Bray Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student on campus. This year's recipient is Serena Nazarani, a senior majoring in industrial engineering.
Past Recipients
2025 – Tamatoa McDonough
2024 – J.R. Singleton
2023 – J.R. Singleton
2022 – Isaiah Lee
2021 – Eyioma Uwazurike
2020 – Eyioma Uwazurike
2019 – Ray Lima
2018 – Spencer Benton
2017 – J.D. Waggoner
2016 – Mitchell Meyers
2015 – Mitchell Meyers
2014 – Cory Morrissey
Nick Bassett Perseverance Award
This year's recipient of the Nick Bassett Perseverance Award is Cody Jackson, a transfer from Tarleton State. Jackson, a Richmond, Texas native, started his career at Oklahoma.
As a freshman he was hospitalized for multiple weeks as he suffered from Lemierre syndrome, an extremely rare and very serious bacterial condition that results in infected blood clots throughout the body. Jackson overcame the condition to be a productive college football player and is in his first season at Iowa State.
Nick Bassett was a supporter, fan and friend not only to the Cyclone football program, but also to the entire Iowa State community. He had various health struggles from age two until he passed away in January of 2022 at 29 years old.
Nick served as an inspiration to everyone he met. His continued positive spirit, attitude toward adversity of all kinds, ability to persevere through challenges he faced and continued support and love for those he cared about provided an illustration all people can learn from – both in the Iowa State community and around the world. Nick's life and legacy continue to impact Iowa State's players, staff, fans and the entire program in tremendous ways.
Past Recipients
2025 – Caleb Bacon, Tyler Moore
2024 – Beau Freyler, Stevo Klotz
2023 – Jake Remsburg, Gerry Vaughn
2022 – Zach Ross, Tayvonn Kyle
Players Mentioned
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