Four MAC Students Named As 2017 Senior CLASS Candidates
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Thirty NCAA FBS student-athletes, who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate football. 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. Included in this group are four MAC students -- Toledo wide receiver Cody Thompson and quarterback Logan Woodside; Bowling Green punter Joseph Davidson and Central Michigan defensive lineman Joe Ostman.
Thompson, who earned Academic All-MAC honors in 2016, is a marketing major with a 3.664 grade point average. He leads the Rockets in receptions (27) and leads the MAC in receiving yards (505) this season. In 2016, he caught 64 passes for a school-record 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns, and was a first-team All-MAC selection. Thompson is also a candidate for five other prestigious awards: the Biletnikoff Award, the Campbell Trophy, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and the Wuerffel Trophy.
Woodside, a quarterback, leads the MAC in passing yards (336.5) and passing efficiency (169.3) this season. In 2016, he shattered nearly every Toledo passing record in the books. He led the nation with 45 touchdown passes, 16 more than the previous best in Rocket history. He connected on 69.1 percent of his passes for 4,129 yards, an average of more than 317 yards per contest and another school record. He earned first-team All-MAC honors and was named a contender for the Heisman Trophy by the Heisman Trophy Trust. He graduated with a 3.4 grade point average in marketing last December, and is currently working on his master's degree.
Davidson is one of the top punters in college football, currently ranking second in the nation in net punting average. He was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2016, given annually to the top punter in college football. He was First Team All-MAC and he tied for the longest punt in the country a year ago with an 82-yarder and also led the nation in punts of 60 yards or more. Off the field, Davidson carries a 3.94 grade point average with a double major in finance and mathematics. He has assisted with Rally Cap Sports, a non-profit organization that provides recreational sports opportunities for children and young adults with special needs.
Ostman is tied for fifth on the Central Michigan this season with 26 tackles and leads the team with five tackles for loss and three sacks this season. Last season Ostman was named All-MAC Second Team.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Of the 30 candidates, 20 have grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher with 11 of those holding above a 3.5. Six are returning All-Americans, and 29 were all-conference selections in 2016. Outside of academics and athletics, all candidates have been consistently involved in community service on their campus or in their communities.
To determine the final Senior CLASS Award winner, the 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 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. Along with the winner, the 10 finalists will be awarded Senior CLASS Award first- or second-team honors.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the football bowl season in early January. For more information on the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
