Oct. 19, 2011

Vote for Persa Online!

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern senior Dan Persa (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) has been chosen as one of 10 finalists for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The list was narrowed to 10 from the original 30 candidates announced in August.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to determine the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on either the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award website or the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through December 5. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I FBS head coaches' votes to determine the winner.

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

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, 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 has again been stellar in 2011, with 696 yards and five touchdowns through the air and a 74.2 percent completion rate through three games played.

A communication studies major, Persa 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.

2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Finalists
Emmanuel Acho, Linebacker, Texas
Jake Bequette, Defensive End, Arkansas
Drew Butler, Punter, Georgia
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Michigan State
Austin Davis, Quarterback, Southern Mississippi
John Dowd, Guard, Navy
Chase Minnifield, Cornerback, Virginia
Dan Persa, Quarterback, Northwestern
Nate Potter, Offensive Tackle, Boise State
Dawson Zimmerman, Punter, Clemson

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