Epperson Nominated for Senior CLASS Award
8/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 24, 2010
WACO, Texas - Baylor senior punter Derek Epperson is one of 30 NCAA football bowl subdivision student-athletes selected as a candidate for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in football.
Epperson, a Southlake, Texas native, is one of nine candidates on the list with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better. Just three years after enrolling at Baylor, Epperson graduated with a double major in management and management information systems earlier this month. He is one of six student-athletes on the 2010 Baylor football team with an undergraduate degree.
A four-time member of the Dean's List, Epperson has also racked up quite a few awards on the field. He earned honorable mention All-America honors and was a consensus All-Big 12 pick after punting for a 44.8-yard average during the 2009 season.
Additionally, Epperson has been named to the Ray Guy Award watch list in each of the last two seasons, including selection as a semifinalist in 2008. In his first season at Baylor, he earned freshman All-American honors in 2007.
With a career punting average of 42.4 yards, Epperson ranks fourth all-time at Baylor heading into his senior season. He's also tied for fifth with 38 career punts of 50-plus yards and tied for sixth with five punts of 60-plus yards.
Epperson is a consensus first-team preseason All-Big 12 selection and an All-America candidate heading into the 2010 season. In three years with the Bears, Epperson has never missed a game, tying him for the second-most career games played among active players.
To be considered for the Senior CLASS award, student-athletes must have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. The award's name is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.
The candidate pool will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season. The 10 finalists will be placed on the official ballot that will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans. For more information on all 30 candidates, visit www.seniorclassaward.com.
