The Dean Davenport “Bulldog of the Year” Award, which was reinstated in the 2002-03 season following a seven-year absence, is presented annually to the most outstanding Ferris State male and female student-athlete. Award criteria consists of strong athletic achievements (must be a letterwinner and achieve outstanding athletic accomplishment), strong individual character and academic achievement.

The award was renamed last year in honor of former Ferris State Athletics Director Dean Davenport, who served in the position from 1979-93. During his tenure at Ferris, Davenport was instrumental in the planning of the FSU Sports Complex, the growth of women's intercollegiate athletics, the emergence of Ferris' NCAA Division I men's ice hockey program and the development of the athletics scholarship program. He also led the athletics department to 14 consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) President's Cup Championships. Davenport founded both the "Bulldog of the Year" and "Pete Peterson Pride" Awards at Ferris State.

Springs was honored as both the men's basketball squad's Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player Award recipient this campaign. A 2005-06 Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region Second Team pick, Springs also picked up National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Great Lakes Region All-District First Team honors in his final season. The 5-6 Springs, who led the GLIAC in assists (5.74 apg) this season and ranked as the league's third-leading scorer (16.8 ppg) this campaign, was honored as a first-team All-GLIAC North Division selection this year. Springs’ career average of 6.2 assists per game ranks tied for 17th place all-time in NCAA Division II history and is the GLIAC’s top career performance average for all games played. His 713 career assists not only ranks as the school's top figure, but also presently is listed 13th on the all-time NCAA Division II assists leaders list.

The two-time (2003-04 & 2004-05) GLIAC North Division Second Team honoree compiled 28 double-figure scoring outings this season and currently is listed among the school's all-time performers in five statistical categories, including ninth in scoring with 1,504 career points. He earned GLIAC North Division Player of the Week Award honors three times this campaign. Springs also received GLIAC North Division All-Defensive Team kudos for the third-straight season and picked up GLIAC All-Tournament Team recognition this year.

Springs, who attained NCAA-II Great Lakes Region All-Tournament Team kudos as FSU advanced to the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen during the 2004-05 campaign, was chosen as the Grand Rapids Press' Player of the Year this season. He was the conference's assists leader three of his four collegiate seasons and dished out 10 or more assists 14 times in his playing career. Presently, Springs is playing professionally for the International Basketball League's (IBL) Holland (Mich.) Blast.

Springs guided Ferris State to an 18-13 overall mark this year as the school made its second consecutive NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament berth. FSU posted a second-place 13-5 mark in GLIAC North Division regular-season action after claiming back-to-back league crowns in 2003-04 and 2004-05. Ferris also received GLIAC Tournament runner-up accolades this season.

Irwin recently picked up All-America accolades with a fourth-place overall 1,500-meter finish (4:38.11) in the final day of action (May 27) at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Emporia, Kan. This year marked the second consecutive year Irwin picked up All-America honors in the 1,500 meters as she posted a fourth-place finish in the event (4:30.60) at the 2005 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships (May 26-28) held at Abilene Christian University's Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene, Texas. This season also represented Irwin's third consecutive appearance in the NCAA-II Outdoor Championships following an 11th place overall showing in the 1,500 meters (4:40.73) as FSU's lone representative at the 2004 NCAA-II Outdoor Championships (May 27-29) held in Walnut, Calif.

Irwin tallied FSU cross country team Most Valuable Runner accolades in 2005-06 after earning All-America honors with a 20th-place finish in the 25th annual NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championships held last fall (Nov. 19) in Pomona, Calif. Irwin completed the six-kilometer (K) race in a time of 22:11.7 to become the first female women's cross country All-American in Bulldog history. Her performance also represented the highest finish ever for a FSU women's performer at the Division II Women's Cross Country Championships. A four-year letterwinner, Irwin claimed first-team All-GLIAC honors for the third consecutive season during the fall 2005 campaign with a runner-up effort (22:57.6) at the 2005 GLIAC Championships (Oct. 22) in Marquette, Mich.

In addition, Irwin also received Ferris' Most Valuable Runner Award for the women's track and field middle distance/distance events this campaign. She claimed the GLIAC Most Valuable Running Event Athlete Award in the women's competition as she won two individual events and received one runner-up finish at the 2006 GLIAC Outdoor Championships (May 4-5) held at FSU's Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich. Irwin took the 800 meters as she clocked 2:11.44 in the final round and also emerged victorious in the 1,500 meters (4:39.93). She placed second in the 3,000 meters (10:08.63). During the 2005-06 indoor campaign, Irwin earned NCAA-II All-America laurels with a fourth-place overall finish (4:49.13) in the mile run at the NCAA-II Indoor Track and Field Championships (March 10-11) in Boston, Mass. She attained GLIAC All-Academic Team honors for the third consecutive year in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track this campaign. Irwin concluded her FSU career with track records in six different events.

Springs is the fifth men's basketball player to receive “Bulldog of the Year” honors since 1978-79 while the 2005-06 athletics season represents the fourth time a Bulldog women's cross country/track athlete has won or shared the award.

Past Bulldog of the Year Recipients
2004-05 – Carlton Epps (Men's Basketball), Karla Fairbanks (Women's Volleyball)
2003-04 – Derek Fudge (Football), Lucy DeMartin (Women's Basketball)
2002-03 – Chris Kunitz (Men's Ice Hockey), Kathryn Bobbie (Women's Golf)
1995-96 – Bill Love (Football), Theresa Luciow (Softball)
1994-95 – Bill Love (Football), Shelli Gaul (Women’s Track & Field)
1993-94 – Ed Philion (Football), Kathy O’Connor (Women’s Volleyball & Women’s Basketball)
1992-93 – Monty Brown (Football), Jodi Raab (Women’s Basketball)
1991-92 – Dan Hutcheson (Wrestling), Monica Ferguson (Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field)
1990-91 – John DePourcq (Men’s Ice Hockey), Karen Volkers (Women’s Volleyball)
1989-90 – Paul Cochran (Men’s Track & Field/Football), Karen Volkers (Women’s Volleyball)
1988-89 – Jarvis Walker (Men’s Basketball), Penny Bailey (Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country)
1987-88 – Dave DenBraber (Football), Patty Theis (Women’s Volleyball)
1986-87 – Brad Morris (Wrestling), Patty Theis (Volleyball) and Karen Kramer (Women’s Basketball)
1985-86 – Scott Kelly (Baseball), Patty Theis (Women’s Volleyball)
1984-85 – Paul Jungck (Wrestling), Sharon Sanders (Women’s Volleyball)
1983-84 – Terry Schumacher (Wrestling), Leigh Feenstra (Women’s Volleyball)
1982-83 – Bruce Faccio (Football), Monta Ware (Women’s Basketball) and Linda Spicer (Women's Volleyball)
1981-82 – Tim Smelser (Wrestling), Vicki Williams (Women’s Basketball)
1980-81 – Rick Baillergeon (Men's Basketball), Terri Fraser (Women’s Volleyball & Women's Basketball)
1979-80 – David Sall (Football), Roxanne Abramouski (Softball)
1978-79 – Tim Herman (Men's Basketball), Sharon Lipinski (Women’s Basketball)