White Finalist for Unitas Award

By MSNsportsNET.com
November 10, 2008

 
  Pat White

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia quarterback Pat White has been named as one of five finalists for the 2008 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which selects the top senior college quarterback in the nation and has been narrowed from an original field of 26.

Named after the man many refer to as the greatest quarterback ever to play the game of football, the prestigious Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the nation’s top senior college quarterback by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and Transamerica, a leading provider of innovative business and personal financial services.

The remaining candidates for the 2008 Golden Arm Award are as follows:

  • Chase Daniel (Missouri) owns the best career QB rating in MU history. Daniel entered the 2008 season needing just 620 yards to become MU’s career passing yardage leader. While Daniel does the majority of his damage in the air, he is also able to beat defenses with his feet, rushing for more than 700 yards.

  • Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) entered the 2008 season having won the 2007 Sammy Baugh Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s top college passer. Listed by CBS Sports as a 2008 Heisman candidate, Harrell was selected as an AT&T ESPN All-American following the inaugural game of the 2008 season.

  • Brian Johnson (Utah) is in his third year as Utah’s starting QB. Offensive MVP of the 2007 San Diego Poinsettia Bowl, Johnson is a three-time Academic All-MWC selection. An extremely efficient passer with a strong arm and outstanding leadership qualities, Johnson had a 66.5% completion rate in 2007, third best ever in a season by a Ute.

  • John Parker Wilson (Alabama), a two-year starter at QB, has become one of the most prolific passers in ‘Bama history. Wilson has shown an ability to shine in late-game situations. He has 16 career 200-yard passing games, setting the all-time career mark at UA. He is also among ‘Bama’s career leaders in pass attempts, completions, passing yardage, TD passes, and all-purpose yards.

  • Pat White (West Virginia) is a three-year starter and one of the nation’s most versatile threats at QB. White is the Big East and West Virginia career QB rushing leader, with more than 3,500 yards. In 2007, he was West Virginia’s top runner with 1,355 yards, while throwing for 1,724 yards and 14 touchdowns.

    The 2008 winner will be presented with the Golden Arm Award on Friday, December 5, at the Tremont Grand Meeting & Banquet Facility in downtown Baltimore.

    Last year’s winner of the Golden Arm Award was Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, who is now with the Atlanta Falcons. Other past winners include current NFL players Brady Quinn (Notre Dame, 2006), Matt Leinart (USC, 2005), Eli Manning (Ole Miss, 2003), Carson Palmer (USC, 2002), David Carr (Fresno State, 2001), and Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997).

    “When you consider how many great college QBs have won the Golden Arm Award and have gone on to play in the NFL, it is clear that this award has become a significant barometer for future success in the professional ranks,” says John C. Unitas, Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation.

    The namesake of the Golden Arm Award has a storied history which has earned him the recognition of being the greatest quarterback to ever play in the National Football League. An 18-year veteran of the NFL, Unitas played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville (1951-1954), passing for 3007 yards and 27 touchdowns.

    Unitas began his pro career with the Baltimore Colts in 1958 and played there 17 years until joining the San Diego Chargers for his final season. His career passing figures include completing 2,830 of 5,186 passes for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns. Among his many records is one that may stand forever, throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games.

    Unitas was recently selected as the top quarterback of all-time by the Pro Football Hall of Fame 36-member selection committee. In commemorating the NFL’s 25th, 50th and 75th anniversaries, he was honored as the GREATEST QUARTERBACK OF ALL TIME. Unitas was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

    As part of a partnership with CN8, The Comcast Network, John Unitas, Jr. will announce the winner of the 2008 Golden Arm Award live on CN8’s “Out of Bounds” sports show on Monday, December 2. “Out of Bounds” will broadcast the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award presentation as a live, one-hour special on Friday, December 5.

    Other sponsors include Black & Decker, Century Engineering, CitiGroup, Dunbar Armored, First Mariner Bank, Maple Leaf Title LLC, Mortgage Seekers, MyAdBox, R2i.ntegrated, Southwest Airlines, Weiss PR Associates, and MedStar Union Memorial Sports Medicine.

    For more information, visit www.goldenarmaward.com ( http://www.goldenarmaward.com/ ) or www.goldenarmfoundation.com ( http://www.goldenarmfoundation.com/ ).



    • Latest Videos




    Harrison Musgrave strikes out 14 in TCU victory
    Around the Horn with Randy Mazey
    TCU Postgame: Randy Mazey
    TCU Postgame: Randy Mazey
    Around the Horn With Randy Mazey
    Randy Mazey Teleconference
    Citynet