Aug. 23, 2011

Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Announcement

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) has been selected as one of 30 candidates in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, presented annually to the individual who best excels in all aspects of the student-athlete experience.

Persa becomes the second Wildcat to be nominated since the inception of the football-only version of the award in 2008, following the nomination of then-senior Eric Peterman.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring.

A returning first-team All-Big Ten quarterback, Persa last year became the Big Ten and Northwestern single-season record-holder for completion percentage (73.5). He threw for 2,581 yards and 15 touchdowns while also running for 519 yards and nine TD's in 10 games.

Persa earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies from Northwestern in June of 2011. Last spring, he was one of just seven NU football players to be named a 2010-11 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, which recognizes student-athletes with a GPA of at least 3.7 for the previous academic year. He has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors on three occasions and is a Capital One Academic All-America candidate in 2011.

In addition to being a two-year captain for Northwestern, Persa recently became the first player to be elected (by his teammates) to NU's 10-player Leadership Council in four straight years.

The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans who will select one finalist.

Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award® winner during the 2011 football bowl season.
 



Persa and the Wildcats open the 2011 season at Boston College on Sept. 3, with NU's home-opener following a week later against Eastern Illinois. Season and single-game tickets are available by calling the ticket office at 1-888-GO-PURPLE or by clicking here.

2011 FBS Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidates
Emmanuel Acho, Linebacker, Texas

Jeff Allen, Offensive Tackle, Illinois

Jake Bequette, Defensive End, Arkansas

 Tony Bergstrom, Offensive Tackle, Utah

Michael Brewster, Center, Ohio State

Drew Butler, Punter, Georgia

Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Michigan State

Jared Crick, Defensive Tackle, Nebraska

Austin Davis, Quarterback, Southern Mississippi

Jeff Demps, Running Back, Florida

John Dowd, Guard, Navy

Michael Egnew, Tight End, Missouri

Alan Gendreau, Placekicker, Middle Tennessee State

Kevin Goessling, Placekicker, Fresno State

Chandler Harnish, Quarterback, Northern Illinois

Aaron Henry, Free Safety, Wisconsin

Joe Holland, Linebacker, Purdue

Jared Karstetter, Wide Receiver, Washington State

Case Keenum, Quarterback, Houston

Chase Minnifield, Cornerback, Virginia

Dan Persa, Quarterback, Northwestern

Tauren Poole, Tailback, Tennessee

Nate Potter, Offensive Tackle, Boise State

Matt Reynolds, Offensive Tackle, BYU

Adrian Robinson, Defensive End, Temple

David Ruffer, Placekicker, Notre Dame

Will Snyderwine, Placekicker, Duke

Nate Stupar, Linebacker, Penn State

Bobby Wagner, Linebacker, Utah State

Dawson Zimmerman, Punter, Clemson

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