The Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Greenville YMCA will honor 23 of Butler County’s most outstanding student athletes on Thursday night at the 15th annual Achiever Award Banquet.

The Achiever Award recognizes one male and one female student athlete from area schools who not only excel in the classroom and on the playing field, but also in church and community involvement.

Student athletes from Fort Dale Academy, Georgiana School, Greenville High School and McKenzie School will be recognized.

The 2012 Achiever Award recipients will also receive a $1,500 scholarship.

“We’re really looking forward to having the chance to recognize these outstanding young people,” said Francine Wasden, a member of the Achiever Award board of directors. “They are certainly all worthy of being named achievers.”

The keynote speaker for the event will be University of South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones.

As a player, Jones was an All-Southeastern Conference performer at the University of Alabama, where he began his playing career under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

In Jones’ four seasons in Tuscaloosa, the Tide compiled a record of 35-12-1, including two Cotton Bowl appearances.  He finished his career with 71 receptions, 1,386 yards and 15 touchdowns, ranking fourth on the career touchdown receptions chart and seventh in career receiving yards.

Jones was named to Alabama’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s and played professionally with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

The banquet will be held at First Baptist Church and is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Greenville YMCA. The cost is $15. For more information call (334) 382-0550.