Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, a leading candidate in the Heisman Trophy race, is one of three finalists for the 2011 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.
Griffin, a junior who leads the nation in total offense (412.2 yards per game), joined Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Houston’s Case Keenum on the list of finalists announced today by the Davey O’Brien Foundation.
The winner will be announced Dec. 8 during the The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN. He will be honored at the Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner, Feb. 20, 2012 at the Fort Worth Club.
All three finalists played high school football in Texas _ Griffin at Copperas Cove, Luck at Houston Stratford and Keenum at Abilene Wylie.
Griffin has led No. 18 Baylor (7-3, 4-3 in Big 12) to the loftiest BCS perch in school history and posted a career-best effort in passing yards (479) and total offense (551) in Saturday’s 45-38 upset of then-No. 5 Oklahoma. Any post-season honor he receives will be viewed as a team award, Griffin said during a teleconference this afternoon.
“I don’t want to be a player that plays for awards,” Griffin said. “I might be the spokesperson for (Baylor), but you don’t get there by yourself. If we’re successful, we’ll all be celebrating.”
Griffin is the only first-time finalist among the remaining O’Brien candidates. Luck, a 2010 finalist, ranks fifth nationally in passing efficiency (167.35 rating) and has led No. 6 Stanford to a 10-1 record.
Keenum, a 2009 finalist, has led No. 8 Houston to an 11-0 record. He leads the nation in passing yards (388.1 per game).
Follow Jimmy Burch on Twitter @Jimmy_Burch.
_ Jimmy Burch
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