Under Armour Senior Bowl Announces North Quarterbacks
Mobile, AL. (Jan. 13)---A trio of accomplished signal-callers will lead the North squad in this month’s Under Armour Senior Bowl. Oregon State’s Sean Canfield, Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour and Cincinnati’s Tony Pike have all accepted invitations to the 2010 game, officials announced today. Kickoff for the January 30th event is scheduled for 3pm (CT) in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium and the game and all practices will be televised by the NFL Network.
Canfield earned first team All-Pac-10 honors his senior season after throwing for 3,271 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 251.6 passing yards per game was tops in the Pac-10 and he ranked second in the league in passing efficiency at 141.9. He led the Beavers to an 8 and 5 record and Las Vegas Bowl appearance this season while setting the school mark for completion percentage (67.9). The lefty finished his OSU career with 5,970 passing yards and 38 touchdowns, both of which are fourth on the school’s all-time list.
“I just hope to expand on what I did my senior year,” Canfield said of playing in the Senior Bowl. “Coming into the year not a whole lot of people knew who I was, but each week it became more and more of a reality that I would get a chance to play at the next level. I’m looking forward to showcasing my skills to all the scouts and teams. Throwing the football is something I love and hopefully I’ll show scouts that I can make all the throws and make the reads in a pro-style system which I was groomed in by Oregon State coach Mike Riley.”
LeFevour, a first team All-MAC pick in 2009, will be making his second trip to Mobile this month after claiming Most Valuable Player honors in the Chippewas’ double-overtime victory over Troy in the GMAC Bowl. The 6-3, 228 pound quarterback is the only player in NCAA history to pass for 12,000 yards and rush for 2,500 yards in a career. He is also a scoring machine, accounting for 150 career touchdowns (102 passing, 47 rushing, 1 receiving) in his illustrious career—the most in Bowl Subdivision history.
In 2009, LeFevour won the Vern Smith Leadership Award (MAC Player of the Year) and was a finalist for the Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Manning Award, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, and the Wuerffel Trophy. He finished his career with 12,905 passing yards and 2,948 rushing yards. He ranks second in FBS history in total offense (15,853) and joins fellow Senior Bowler Tim Tebow of Florida as the only other player to pass for and run for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season.
“This is a great opportunity and the finest way to showcase my talents against the top players in the nation,” LeFevour said. “I think once I get down there and show that I belong with the guys, it will be a great experience, a lot of fun and a lot of hard work too.”
Pike was a first team All-Big EAST selection in 2009 after leading the conference with 2,520 passing yards. Despite missing three games due to injury, Pike also led the Big EAST in total offense—averaging 252.6 yards per game. The 6-6, 225 pound quarterback threw 29 touchdowns this season and helped the Bearcats to a perfect 12-0 regular season finish and Big EAST conference title. For his career, Pike threw for 5,018 yards and 49 touchdowns, finishing fourth and second respectively on Cincinnati’s all-time list.
“These three outstanding quarterbacks have certainly proved that they belong in the Senior Bowl,” Senior Bowl President and CEO Steve Hale said. “All three put together impressive careers and we are looking forward to watching them compete here later this month in front of the entire National Football League.”
Tickets for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl are currently available for purchase at the Senior Bowl ticket offices (151 Dauphin Street and inside Bel Air Mall), select Regions Bank locations, all area Food For Less locations, online at www.seniorbowl.com or by calling (251) 432-4109.
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