Petty, the 2013 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award winner, was a finalist for four awards in 2014. He is currently a finalist for the Manning and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose awards and was a finalist for the Unitas Golden Arm. He was also named a semifinalist for the 2014 Maxwell, Walter Camp and Davey O'Brien awards. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
Baylor senior quarterback Bryce Petty was named the 2014 Seminole Tribe of Florida Bobby Bowden Award winner on Sunday.
The award, presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, is designed to honor the Football Bowl Subdivision player that best epitomizes a student-athlete.
Petty beat out Indiana safety Mark Murphy and Ole Miss defensive lineman D.T. Shackleford for the award.
“This is meaningful for me for two reasons,” Petty said when accepting the award. “First it’s an award about Christ, and to me that’s the ultimate prize anyway — when we talk about success, it needs to be credited to the One who has enabled us to have success.
“Second, the platform we have as football players is not to be taken for granted. Too often, players think it’s just about them and get too caught up in thinking that all have the same opportunity and that’s not true. We’ve been given a great opportunity — we need to keep it in perspective — it’s not just about wins on the field, it’s as much about off the field accomplishments.”
Petty, the 2013 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award winner, was a finalist for four awards in 2014. He is currently a finalist for the Manning and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose awards and was a finalist for the Unitas Golden Arm. He was also named a semifinalist for the 2014 Maxwell, Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien awards.
“It comes as no surprise that Bryce is the recipient of an award such as this,” Baylor head coach Art Briles said of the Bobby Bowden honor. “Being around him day-in and day-out for the last five years I can say that I’m a better person. You look at, does your association with someone make you better? I can say that everyone Bryce comes in contact with is better. That’s due to his demeanor, his attitude and his faith.”
In two seasons as the starter for the Bears, Petty helped Baylor win back-to-back Big 12 Championships, while producing a 22-4 record and a 16-2 mark in conference play.
In Baylor history, Petty ranked second in passing yards (8,195), second in completion percentage (.627), second in total offense (8,528), second in touchdown responsibility (83), second in passing touchdowns (62), and ninth in rushing touchdowns (21).
The award is named after former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden. The award is sponsored by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
