Oct. 20, 2010
Vote for Sean Here
OVERLAND PARK, KS – Georgia Tech senior center Sean Bedford is one of ten NCAA® football student-athletes, who excel both on and off the field, that were selected as finalists Wednesday for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
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 Lowe’s 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.
The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates that was announced in August. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to determine the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote via the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award website through December 6. Fan votes will be combined with media and coaches votes to determine the winner.
A 2009 All-ACC First Team Selection, Bedford anchors a Georgia Tech offensive line that has helped the Yellow Jackets rank No. 2 nationally in rushing with 328.1 yards per game. He has been named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the week once this season (Sept. 7), and three times overall in his career.
Bedford is an aerospace engineering major. Some of his classwork consists of designing jets for anti-submarine warfare, studying the way that fluid behaves in a supersonic domain, concentrating on characteristics of ramjets, turbojets, turbofans and possibly scramjets, as well as learning the means to control aircraft in various conditions, including controlling spacecraft.
He started his career at Georgia Tech as a walk-on and served on the scout team for two years before new coach Paul Johnson, who was impressed with Bedford’s work ethic, moved him from defense to offense and awarded him with a scholarship.
Bedford has been involved with several community programs, including serving as a Grand Marshall in the Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies the past three yeas, playing in and attending the BlazeSports Celebrity Wheelchair Basketball Tournament and attending special patient parties throughout the year at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Bedford has also assisted with HEROS Field Day, Twilight Cub Scout Camp, Chamblee Football Camp for elementary students and a dance marathon fundraiser that honored families going through Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award® winner January 10, 2011, on ESPN prior to the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game.
For more information on all the finalists, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Football Finalists
Name, Position, School
Sam Acho, Defensive End, Texas
Sean Bedford, Center, Georgia Tech
Anthony Castonzo, Offensive Tackle, Boston College
Jake Coffman, Defensive End, Northern Illinois
Ricky Dobbs, Quarterback, Navy
Ras-I Dowling, Cornerback, Virginia
Kendall Hunter, Running Back, Oklahoma State
Christian Ponder, Quarterback, Florida State
Ryan Pugh, Center, Auburn
Stefen Wisniewski, Offensive Guard, Penn State
