July 28, 2011

Read Skip Myslenski's Pre-Media Day Quick Hitters

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern senior quarterback Dan Persa has been voted one of 12 Big Ten Players to Watch for the upcoming 2011 college football season, the Conference announced Thursday morning. Big Ten coaches voted to institute a preseason Players to Watch list beginning this season, honoring five student-athletes from both the Legends and Leaders division.

The 2011 list was selected by a panel of conference media and includes additional honorees due to a tie.

Persa is one of four quarterbacks on the list along with Michigan's Denard Robinson, Michigan State's Kirk Cousins and Illinois' Nathan Scheelhaase.

A first-team All-Big Ten choice a year ago when he set a Big Ten record for completion percentage (73.5), Persa has been selected to numerous preseason conference and national watch lists. Among them are the Manning Award and Davey O'Brien watch lists (nation's top quarterback) as well as those for the Heisman Trophy and Walter Camp Award, given to the national player of the year.

A complete list of individuals named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list is below:

LEGENDS DIVISION
Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern

LEADERS DIVISION *
Nathan Scheelhaase, QB, Illinois
Damarlo Belcher, WR, Indiana
Mike Brewster, C, Ohio State
John Simon, DT, Ohio State
Michael Mauti, LB, Penn State
Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
James White, RB, Wisconsin

* Additional honorees due to a tie

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