UCF football player candidate for senior award

ORLANDO, Fla – UCF's impressive start to the football season is already beginning to position its biggest stars to be in the running for some major individual accolades.

Senior linebacker Shaquem Griffin was officially selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award on Thursday.

CLASS stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, and the award recognizes "the total student athlete," that "use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities."

To be eligible for the award players must be recognized by the NCCA as Division I FBS senior's and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

Midway through the season, the 30 candidates will be condensed down to a ballot of 10 finalists, with that ballot then being distributed nationwide to media, coaches and fans to vote upon, with the winner set to be announced in January. 

Previous winners of the Senior CLASS Award include current Dallas Cowboy's quarterback Dak Prescott and Denver Broncos Tight End Jake Butt. 

Griffin has received a large amount of national attention in the past year, a result of the fact that he was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Year for 2016, despite losing his left hand at the age of 4 to a rare condition. 

In the community, he has worked with a number of different groups that include the Boys and Girls Club, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and USA National Football, among others.

Griffin already has his degree in human communication and is in the process of working toward another major in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in sociology.

For more information on the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.