April 12, 2012
DALLAS, Texas - Baylor quarterback Nick Florence was among nine area football players named to the 2012 Collegiate Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar-Athletes list, the National Football Foundation (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas announced Thursday. The student-athletes will be recognized at the club's annual banquet to be held April 16 at the Marriott Quorum in Addison, Texas.
Florence, a four-time selection to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor List and two-time member of the Dean's List, carries a 3.79 grade-point average majoring in economics.
The Garland, Texas, product spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III's backup, appearing in a total of eight games and posting 206 passing yards and two touchdowns.
As a true freshman in 2009, Florence stepped in for an injured Griffin III and started seven of the team's final nine games, completing 165-of-266 passes for 1,786 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding for 62 rushing yards and three scores. The 2009 Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree set a single-game school record by passing for 427 yards on 32-of-43 passing with three touchdowns and no picks in a 40-32 upset of two-time defending Big 12 North champion Missouri.
Florence joins former Baylor letterwinner, Joe Pawelek, on prestigious scholar-athlete list. Pawelek was honored by NFF Dallas in 2010.
The nine scholar-athletes were selected as the best from the entire region at the collegiate level for their combined achievements as students, athletes and leaders in their respective communities. The selection committee included coaches, teachers, administrators and business leaders from the North Texas area.
2012 Collegiate Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar-Athletes
Kelvin Beachum, Offensive Line - SMU
Lance Dunbar, Running Back - North Texas
Nick Florence, Quarterback - Baylor
Taylor Fore, Wide Receiver - Texas A&M-Commerce
Seth Hubbard, Quarterback - East Texas Baptist
Levi Kirkland, Linebacker - Tarleton State
Braydon MaQuar, Wide Receiver - Austin College
Spencer Thompson, Offensive Line - TCU
Travis Veitenheimer, Offensive Line - Midwestern State
