Two Gridders Named Senior CLASS Award Candidates
September 27, 2018 02:01 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Fifth-year senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Will Grier and senior All-American and 2017 Biletnikoff Award finalist David Sills V of the West Virginia University football team are two of 30 candidates for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. 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.
West Virginia University is the only Power Five school to place two candidates on the list and one of three FBS institutions (South Alabama, Nevada). It marks the second time in three years a pair of Mountaineers have been named candidates, as Skyler Howard and Tyler Orlosky were named to the list in 2016.
Since the program's first candidate in 2012 (Jeff Braun), five Mountaineers have landed on the award's initial list, with only Orlosky claiming Senior CLASS All-America honors, earning first team honors in 2016.
Today's recognition is the third team the duo has been named together, as they also were named to the 2018 Preseason All-Big 12 Team and numerous Preseason All-American Teams.
Both of these student-athletes spend numerous hours in the community making regular visits at WVU Medicine Children's, serving as a friend, mentor and role model. The partnership between WVU Medicine Children's and WVU Football extends all the way back to 1984 when Hall of Fame Coach Don Nehlen and his teams made regular trips to visit the children.
This season, Grier has completed 71-of-95 passes for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has recorded 12 300-yard passing performances during his WVU career and thrown multiple touchdowns in 12 games, including throwing five scores five times.
Grier is ranked No. 2 nationally in passing efficiency, points responsible for per game, yards per attempt, No. 3 in completion percentage and passing yards per game, No. 4 in total offense, No. 5 passing touchdowns and No. 6 in points responsible for. He also has converted 66.7 percent (16/24) of his third-down passes into first downs, leads the nation.
He was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2017 and a spot on ProFootballFocus' All-Big 12 team, after finishing with 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns before a hand injury ended his season in the first quarter of game 11.
Grier graduated with his bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies with disciplines in journalism, communications and sport and exercise psychology in December 2017. He currently is pursuing a second bachelor's degree in sociology. He has earned spots on WVU's Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
This season, Sills V currently has 19 catches for 246 yards and five touchdowns, leading the nation in receiving touchdowns, No. 2 in scoring and total touchdowns, No. 3 in receptions per game and No. 8 in receiving yards per game.
Along with his Biletnikoff finalist honors, he earned a spot on 10 All-American teams and was a unanimous All-Big 12 first-team selection in 2017 when he finished with 60 catches for 980 yards and tied for the national lead with 18 touchdowns.
Sills V is on track to finish his bachelor's degree in business with a concentration on finance in December. He has earned spots on WVU's Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
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.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. 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.
West Virginia University is the only Power Five school to place two candidates on the list and one of three FBS institutions (South Alabama, Nevada). It marks the second time in three years a pair of Mountaineers have been named candidates, as Skyler Howard and Tyler Orlosky were named to the list in 2016.
Since the program's first candidate in 2012 (Jeff Braun), five Mountaineers have landed on the award's initial list, with only Orlosky claiming Senior CLASS All-America honors, earning first team honors in 2016.
Today's recognition is the third team the duo has been named together, as they also were named to the 2018 Preseason All-Big 12 Team and numerous Preseason All-American Teams.
Both of these student-athletes spend numerous hours in the community making regular visits at WVU Medicine Children's, serving as a friend, mentor and role model. The partnership between WVU Medicine Children's and WVU Football extends all the way back to 1984 when Hall of Fame Coach Don Nehlen and his teams made regular trips to visit the children.
This season, Grier has completed 71-of-95 passes for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has recorded 12 300-yard passing performances during his WVU career and thrown multiple touchdowns in 12 games, including throwing five scores five times.
Grier is ranked No. 2 nationally in passing efficiency, points responsible for per game, yards per attempt, No. 3 in completion percentage and passing yards per game, No. 4 in total offense, No. 5 passing touchdowns and No. 6 in points responsible for. He also has converted 66.7 percent (16/24) of his third-down passes into first downs, leads the nation.
He was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2017 and a spot on ProFootballFocus' All-Big 12 team, after finishing with 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns before a hand injury ended his season in the first quarter of game 11.
Grier graduated with his bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies with disciplines in journalism, communications and sport and exercise psychology in December 2017. He currently is pursuing a second bachelor's degree in sociology. He has earned spots on WVU's Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
This season, Sills V currently has 19 catches for 246 yards and five touchdowns, leading the nation in receiving touchdowns, No. 2 in scoring and total touchdowns, No. 3 in receptions per game and No. 8 in receiving yards per game.
Along with his Biletnikoff finalist honors, he earned a spot on 10 All-American teams and was a unanimous All-Big 12 first-team selection in 2017 when he finished with 60 catches for 980 yards and tied for the national lead with 18 touchdowns.
Sills V is on track to finish his bachelor's degree in business with a concentration on finance in December. He has earned spots on WVU's Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
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.
Players Mentioned
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