Sep 4, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; September 4, 2013 - Penn State senior guard John Urschel (Williamsville, N.Y.) has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award for college football.
To be eligible for the Senior CLASS Award, a student-athlete must have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.
The 6-foot-3, 301-pound guard has started 13 consecutive games for Coach Bill O'Brien's squad and played in 26 straight games, earning first team All-Big Ten honors last season after blocking for a 1,000-yard rusher and 3,000-yard passer. Urschel is on the Watch Lists for the 2013 Outland Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award.
Considered the nation's premier college football scholar-athlete, Urschel owns a 4.0 grade-point average, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics over the past four years. The former Canisius High School standout anchors the Nittany Lions' offensive line, and is working on a second master's degree, in math education.
A 2012 first team CoSIDA Academic All-American, Urschel has an opportunity this fall to earn his fourth straight nod on the Academic All-Big Ten squad, his third selection to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District team and his second Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America selection.
Urschel taught a section of Math 041 - Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry during the 2013 Spring semester and is teaching a section of Math 230 - Integral Vector Calculus this semester, in addition to his academic and football responsibilities. Urschel has participated in the Penn State Lift for Life, THON events, the Relay for Life and the Special Olympics Pennsylvania State Summer Games during his career.
The 30 Senior CLASS 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 candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of 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. Premier Sports Management manages the award.
Penn State (1-0) hosts Eastern Michigan (1-0) Saturday at 12:00 p.m. to begin a three-game homestand. The Nittany Lions' undefeated 1973 team will be recognized at halftime.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season and single game tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.