Nick Malone Earns WVU Football’s Nickolich Award

The Morgantown-raised walk-ons had a field day today. Wide receiver Preston Fox was put on scholarship, and offensive lineman Nick Malone was selected as the 2022 Tommy Nickolich Award winner. The Nickolich Award is given to the Mountaineer football walk-on who has “distinguished himself through his attitude and work ethic.”

Malone, in his fourth season with the Mountaineers, played all 13 games of the 2021 season at tackle, including a start against Oklahoma State.

“As soon as they said Morgantown, it was between me and Preston Fox, and once it started on that, I kind of initially put my helmet down like, ‘Well, ok.’ Then, I just ran out there and kind of expected it. I’m blessed to be it,” Malone said.

“Most linemen, we don’t get much recognition. We get a lot of the blame. Being a walk-on as well. it’s a very good feeling, that’s for sure.”

Malone added his talents at tackle to an experienced offensive line last season, and one which reprises all of its starters in 2022. Malone fits into that scheme, and says that even being a walk-on, he never felt like his contributions meant less.

“Especially here, you don’t get treated as a walk-on,” he said. “The culture here, everybody is one, that’s for sure. When I first got here, my goal was to play. I wanted to play. I wanted to play, and going through the years, I just wanted to get my body right and coach Brown hit on that. Through the years, I think I’ve done that in the weight room with coach Mike [Joseph]. He’s done a tremendous job in hitting that goal weight of 300. That was my goal from freshman year, because I came in at 260 and I’m 300, so that was one of my big goals. To hit it this year feels very good.”

He follows the footsteps of 2020’s Osman Kamara, and joins fellow West Virginians in 2021’s Graeson Malashevich, 2019’s Jake Abbott and 2018’s Evan Staley.