Baylor football stars earn individual honors — and diplomas
On Saturday, quarterback Bryce Petty, linebacker Bryce Hager and offensive lineman Spencer Drango walked across the Ferrell Center stage and received their Baylor diplomas. (Petty, in fact, received his master’s degree in sports management.)
Ten days from today, those three will lead 4th-ranked Baylor football against No. 7 Michigan State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic — the Bears’ second-straight New Year’s Day bowl.
Petty, Hager and Drango have played key roles in leading Baylor to back-to-back conference championships for the first time in program history, and each is among the long list of Bears who have received individual honors this season. A sampling of Baylor football’s 2014 honorees (click here for a complete list):
- A national coach of the year finalist (Art Briles — Dodd Trophy, Eddie Robinson COY Award)
- An individual award finalist (Petty — Manning, Unitas Golden Arm, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose awards)
- 2 All-Americans (Drango, Shawn Oakman)
- A Freshman All-American (KD Cannon)
- 2 Academic All-Americans (Troy Baker, Colin Brence)
- The Big 12 Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year – Coaches (Drango)
- The Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year – AP (Taylor Young)
- 4 All-Big 12 first-team selections (Andrew Billings, Drango, Shock Linwood, Oakman)
- 4 All-Big 12 second-team selections (Corey Coleman, Hager, Petty, Spencer Roth)
- 11 All-Big 12 honorable mentions (Tre’Von Armstead, Billings, Beau Blackshear, Cannon, Kyle Fuller, Antwan Goodley, Xavien Howard, Blake Muir, Levi Norwood, Oakman, Orion Stewart)
- 17 Academic All-Big 12 selections (Baker, Brence, Terell Brooks, Trevor Clemens-Valdez, Drango, Andrew Earnest, Andrew Frerking, Clay Fuller, Lynx Hawthorne, Jimmy Landes, Kevin Mitchell, Muir, Silas Nacita, Norwood, Jason Osei, Petty, Cal Spangler)
Got tickets to the game? If not, seats are still available through Michigan State and Ticketmaster (Baylor’s allocated tickets are long gone). Visit baylor.edu/fanzone and the BaylorBears.com Bowl Central for information on events surrounding the game.
Can’t make it to Arlington? Click here for a list of #WatchBU parties around the country. (And either way, get ready with your choice of Big 12 champs and Cotton Bowl gear.)
On social media discussing the game? Use the #BaylorCotton and #SicMSU hashtags to join the conversation online. Make sure you’re following @Baylor, @BaylorProud and @BUFootball on Twitter, and @BaylorUniversity and @BUFootball on Instagram for complete coverage of the game.
Sic ’em, Baylor football!