Sept. 29, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Texas A&M senior Stephen McGee was named as one of 30 candidates on Monday for the inaugural Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in football, the nation's premier award for college senior student-athletes.
To be eligible for the football award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior (in the Football Bowl Subdivision only) and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition. McGee was one of four Big 12 athletes recognized.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence. This prestigious awards program was launched during the 2001-02 basketball season, added six additional sports in 2007, and has now expanded this year to include NCAA football.
The 30 student-athletes will be narrowed down to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot. The ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select the candidate that best exemplifies excellence in the "Four C's" of Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition.
The overall winner of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for football will be announced during a 2008-09 post-season college football event.
McGee (Burnet, Texas) has started 30 games for the Aggies at quarterback and ranks in the school's all-time top five with nearly 5,200 passing yards. He is A&M's all-time leader in completion percentage and ranks second in total offense. In the classroom, McGee earned his degree in marketing in August 2007 and is on track to earn his M.B.A. in the spring of 2009. He is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action and Aggie Athletes Involved.