Riverside—The UC Riverside Athletics Department held its annual end-of-year Scotty Awards on Thursday evening, and Men's Soccer player Stephen Copley was named the winner of the 2016-17 Stan Morrison Best Teammate Award.

The award is named after former UC Riverside Athletics Director Stan Morrison, who was the ultimate teammate for the department during his 12 years at the helm of the Highlanders ship. Reprinted below are Stan Morrison's remarks honoring Stephen.

There are a number of traits that come to mind when one thinks of a great teammate: Selflessness, Accountability, Competitiveness, Respect, Trust, Dependability.

Our Best Teammate honoree lived all of these traits throughout his UC Riverside career, but never more so than during this ... his senior season.

During training camp, the Men's Soccer Team worked diligently to alter the culture of the program. Core Values. Relationships. Team identity.

These are not phrases that typically ignite the passions of collegiate athletes accustomed to focusing on Points, Goals, Home Runs, and PRs.

But this year's Highlanders' Team Captain embraced those phrases, bringing an openness, an honesty and a vulnerability to the process which gave his teammates tacit permission to do likewise.  

According to his coaches "Without his leadership, our team culture would not be where it is today. Relationships among players and coaches would not be as strong."

During the offseason, he wrote a letter to his teammates which read in part ...

"What does this team mean to me? This team means perseverance, loyalty, trust, friendship, learning, growth, maturity, and so much more.

"It personified all the intangible things that make life worth living. Nothing can replicate the feeling that this team, and this sport has provided me.

"I have lived a part of my dreams because of this program, and when I'm old I won't care about money, cars, or anything material. I'll want to know that I touched people's lives and that other people touched mine.

"This group of guys has surely done that, and this sport has done that. I love each and everyone of you with all my heart. Thank you."