Nick Ackerman named 2026 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipient
INDIANOLA, Iowa – The NCAA has selected Simpson College alum and former national champion Nick Ackerman as one of its 2026 Silver Anniversary Award recipients, recognizing athletes who graduated 25 years ago and have gone on to demonstrate exceptional leadership, service and professional achievement.
Ackerman will be formally recognized during the NCAA Convention in January, where he and the other Silver Anniversary Award honorees - Drew Brees (Purdue football), Tamika Catchings (Tennessee women's basketball), and Dr. Lauren Witmer (Millersville women's tennis) - will be celebrated for their enduring impact and accomplishments.
Ackerman is one of the most celebrated athletes in Simpson College history. In 2001, he won the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship at 174 pounds, defeating defending national champion Nick Slack of Augsburg College, who entered the championship on a 60-match win streak. His remarkable victory made him the first athlete in NCAA history to win a national title without the use of his legs, as Ackerman is a bilateral below-knee amputee due to a childhood illness.
That same year, Ackerman was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA Championships and became the only Division III wrestler to win the Dan Hodge Trophy, wrestling's equivalent of the Heisman, which he shared with Cael Sanderson of Iowa State. He finished the season with an impressive 38-4 record.
His championship match was later recognized as the No. 1 Most Dramatic Championship Victory in NCAA History by NCAA Champion Magazine, and in 2006, the NCAA honored his win as one of its "25 Defining Moments". He was also awarded the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Medal of Courage, cementing his legacy as a groundbreaking and inspirational figure in college athletics.
Following his graduation from Simpson College in 2001 with a degree in environmental science, Nick Ackerman has built a distinguished career in the field of prosthetics. He became an ABC-certified prosthetist after earning his certification from Northwestern University's Prosthetics-Orthotics Center in 2004. He joined American Prosthetics and Orthotics (APO), where he rose to become Director of Prosthetics, a role he held from 2009 to 2022.
Currently serving as an ABC-certified prosthetist at Hanger Clinic in Clive, Iowa, Ackerman has over 21 years of clinical experience, specializing in upper and lower limb prosthetics. As a bilateral below-knee amputee, he brings empathy, innovation, and personal insight to his care for patients of all ages, helping them regain mobility and independence.
Ackerman is recognized nationally for his leadership in prosthetic care, patient advocacy, and his mentorship of wounded veterans and fellow amputees. His unique blend of clinical expertise and lived experience has made him a trusted expert and compassionate guide in his field.
