Nathan Rosahac prides himself on working hard on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

The Jim Thorpe senior was recognized for his efforts Sunday night.

Rosahac was honored at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Lehigh Valley Chapter’s Awards banquet, winning the Albert M. Beneck Memorial Scholarship as the top scholar athlete.

“I’m just really proud of Nathan,” said Olympians’ head coach Mark Rosenberger. “Four years of hard work in the classroom, two years of outstanding play on the football field. You couldn’t ask for a better young man. He’s a great role model for all of our student athletes to follow. It’s just a very proud moment as a coach of Nathan’s, but also for the Jim Thorpe community and the Jim Thorpe football program.

“He’s just an exceptionally nice kid, he’s a high character young man and comes from an outstanding family. He’s got the total package there. And athletically, he’s just a very determined kid, a very hard worker. He sets his goals, and goes for that. And he’s a team player; he’ll do whatever it takes for the team to succeed.”

Rosahac is class president, student rotarian, Student Council treasurer, where he helps put on a volleyball tournament that serves as a fundraiser as well as local blood drives in an effort to raise money for scholarships, and the National Honor Society, where he volunteered with the Trees for Troops program.

A wide receiver and defensive end for the Olympians, Rosahac finished with 60 tackles, including eight sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He also scored four touchdowns.

“Coach Rosenberger has been a mentor to me throughout high school,” said Rosahac. “He always expects the best out of all of you, and that goes for everyone on the football team. We always make sure we’re on top of it in the classroom, and when we’re on the field, he expects nothing less. He wants us to give everything.

“I like to take that approach every day, just to make sure I bring my best, bring my all every day. No matter what, you still have to give 100 percent effort, and that’s what he believes.”

Nathan’s brother, Nick, was Jim Thorpe’s representative a year ago. Nathan is the school’s first scholar athlete winner since Josh Hontz in 2008.

“I think it’s really cool to share something like this with him, because he knows how it goes, and I know how it goes, so it’s like a cool shared experience for both of us, that we both got to participate in it,” Nathan said. “It’s just something the family looks upon that we make sure we put all of our effort into everything we do, on the field, off the field, whether it’s with school books or in the weight room.”

Rosahac will continue his academic and athletic career at St. Lawrence University, where he will study pre-med with the hope of one day becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

“I just want to make sure I do what I did in high school even better there,” said Rosahac. “I want to make sure I stay on top of my academics, and keep attaining high grades. I also want to make sure I dedicate myself to the weight room this offseason, so I’m ready to play at the college level.

“I hope I’m able to excel like I did in high school. I want to put in that same effort, and work, and continue to get the same outcome, and keep on achieving the goals that I set for myself.”

Rosahac is also a member of the Olympians’ basketball team, and will play baseball this spring.

Despite numerous athletic accomplishments, it’s what he’s done away from the competitive arena that will stick with Rosahac the most once his time at Jim Thorpe is finished.

“Just the connections I’ve been able to make throughout the town, and throughout the community,” he said. “You always feel connected to one another. It feels like a family; it feels like the whole town is a family. No matter what’s going on, they’re always supporting you.

“You can see it at the recent district basketball championship game for the girls. It looked like the whole town was there. That’s what I love about our town, everyone is always going to support you.”

Salisbury’s Jacob Kamp won the Edward J. Watto Community Service Award.

“I had a great time, just interacting with all the other kids,” said Rosahac.” They all put in as much work as me, and we all put a lot of work into what we do. It’s nice to see kids you’ve competed against on the field, and now you get to talk about all the hard work you put in on and off the field, and share the experience.”

Lehighton Area High School principal Suzanne Howland was among the guest speakers at the dinner. The Indians’ Nolan Wentz was the winner of the scholar athlete award a year ago.

HIGH SCHOOL

One scholar-athlete from each school attends the banquet with one selected as the overall scholarship winner. The following is a list of this year’s scholar-athletes:

William Allen High School – Anderson T. Cox; Allentown Central Catholic High School – Justin Michael Pasquale; Bangor Area High School – Douglas Thomas Toth; Bethlehem Catholic High School – Dalton Jack Daddona; Catasauqua High School – Bradley J. Panto; Louis E. Dieruff High School – Gabriel A. Cruz; East Stroudsburg High School North – Dejon J. Richardson; East Stroudsburg High School South – Ryan James Clark; Easton Area High School – Daniel C. Hynes; Emmaus High School – Sone A. Ntoh; Freedom High School – Tristan Jacob Wheeler; Jim Thorpe Area High School – Nathan Michael Rosahac; Lehighton Area High School – Chris Jacob Whiteman; Liberty High School – Michael Stanley Warner; Nazareth Area High School – Thomas Manos; Northampton Area High School – Ethan Charles Deater; Northern Lehigh High School – Aaron C. Rudolph; Northwestern Lehigh High School – Christopher John Hippensteel; Notre Dame High School – Ethen Damian Aquino; Palisades High School – Adam Ryan Marsh; Palmerton Area High School – Tanner William Burnett; Parkland High School – Adam S. Piston; Pen Argyl Area High School – Tadd Alan Barr; Phillipsburg High School – Mark James Zgoda, Jr.; Pleasant Valley High School – Benjamin Anthony Henwood;

Pocono Mountain East High School – Sean Michael Myron; Pocono Mountain West High School – Ryan Matthew Krisiak; Salisbury High School – Jacob Dylan Kamp; Saucon Valley High School – Ian Christopher Csicsek; Southern Lehigh High School – Quinn A. Schmidt; Stroudsburg High School – Tyler Alexander Slomiak; Whitehall High School – Jacob Lawrence Heffner; Wilson Area High School – Zachery A. Miller.

COLLEGE

East Stroudsburg University – Michael Fleming; Kutztown University – Conor Sullivan; Lafayette College – Kevin Zataveski; Lehigh University – Harrison Kauffman; Moravian College – Nicholas Vincent Zambelli; Muhlenberg College – Luke Wiley.