Chalmers, Johnson & Sparks Honored by TD Club of Richmond

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Touchdown Club of Richmond has recognized Virginia Safety Chayce Chalmers as its 2022 Wells Fargo Advisors Humanitarian Award winner. Cornerback Anthony Johnson was named the Defensive Back of the Year and punter Daniel Sparks is the organization’s Specialist of the Year.

The trio will be featured during a televised broadcast of the Dudley and Lanier Awards presentation on Saturday (Dec. 10) on WTVR-TV6, the local CBS affiliate in Richmond. The awards show will air live, following the national broadcast of the Army vs. Navy football game on CBS, which kicks off at 3 p.m.

The Wells Fargo Advisors Humanitarian Award annually recognizes a football player from a program in the Commonwealth of Virginia who has gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on their campus and in his community. Chalmers is the third Virginia football player to win the award (2020-21 – Terrell Jana and 2018 Lester Coleman).

Earlier this season Chalmers was a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy, college Football’s Premier Award for Community Service as well as the Allstate AFCA Good Hands Team. He was recently one of 15 ACC student-athletes recipients of the 2022 Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition giveaway to assist of a degree or career in education. Chalmers is a leader of the UVA Groundskeepers, a group made up of student-athletes and coaches who work to fight for social justice and equity. He has volunteered at The Equity Center as a mentor to middle school students in the Charlottesville area, is a frequent visitor at the Brooks YMCA Afterschool Program as a mentor and speaker.

Johnson, a first team All-ACC selection from the league’s coaches and the Associated Press, was one of the country’s top cornerbacks. The Coconut Creek, Fla., native started all 10 games for the Cavaliers and made a career high 51 tackles, including 34 solo efforts. His 14 passes defended (12 pass break ups & 2 interceptions) were the most of any ACC defender. His 1.4 passes defended per game were the eighth-best among FBS defensive backs. Johnson appeared in 55 games between his five-year collegiate career at Louisville (2018-20) and UVA (2021-22) and amassed 38 passes defended, the fifth-most among active FBS defenders.

Sparks matched the UVA single-season punting average record with an average of 46.8 yards per kick this season. His best performance of the season came on Nov. 12 against Pitt with eight punts for 409 yards that included three punts of 60+ yards. He’s the only punter in UVA history with three 60+ yard punts in a game he was later named the ACC co-Specialist of the week for his efforts vs. the Panthers. Of his 46 punts on the year, 12 landed inside the 20 and 14 were 50 or more yards.