Harris Named To Unitas Golden Arm List

BALTIMORE --– The 2017 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award boasts 47 standout quarterbacks from different divisions and conferences across the nation, including North Carolina's Brandon Harris. The Golden Arm Award is presented at the end of each football season and the winner is selected based on his accomplishments both on and off the field. Candidates must be a college senior or fourth-year junior on schedule to graduate with their class.

Harris is a graduate transfer who played in 25 games over three seasons at LSU and made 15 starts, including all 12 games as a sophomore in 2015. He finished his LSU career completing 187 of 347 pass attempts for 2,756 yards, 20 TDs, and 10 interceptions. Harris also rushed for 370 yards and seven touchdowns.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, and we are proud to honor this new class of candidates. After three decades of honoring these quarterbacks' achievements, the Golden Arm Award is the only college football award that has 10 previous recipients still competing in the NFL.

The Golden Arm Award committee will announce the Top 15 finalists for the 2017 Golden Arm Award in September. The 30th Anniversary presentation of the Golden Arm Award will be held on Fri., Dec. 8 at the Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor & Grand.

"The Golden Arm Award values character, citizenship, integrity, leadership, and sportsmanship – characteristics that were displayed by my father. These attributes were every bit as important as the quarterback's completion rate or the number of touchdowns scored," says John C. Unitas, Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. "Despite his many accolades, my Dad never forgot his humble beginnings and that won him a permanent place in the hearts of everyone who ever knew him."

The namesake of the Golden Arm Award has a storied history. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL, who played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns and throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games.

Proceeds from the event help support the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. The Foundation provides financial assistance to underprivileged and deserving young scholar-athletes throughout Maryland and Kentucky.

Past standout winners of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® include: Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997); Carson Palmer (USC, 2002); Eli Manning (Ole Miss, 2003); Brady Quinn (Notre Dame, 2006); Matt Ryan (Boston College, 2007); Colt McCoy (Texas, 2009); and Andrew Luck (Stanford, 2011), Marcus Mariota (Oregon, 2014), Connor Cook (Michigan State, 2015). Last year's winner Deshaun Watson, Clemson.

Sponsors of the Golden Arm Award include: Maryland Department of Commerce, Under Armour, The Babe Ruth Museum, Baltimore Sun Media Group, Century Engineering, Comcast, Dunbar Security Solutions and Dunbar Cash Management, The Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor & The Grand, Haddock Investments, HMS Insurance Associates, Inc., Metropolis Funding, PSAV, Panini, TRAY, Harvey Agency, The Scott Garceau Show, MedStar Sports Medicine, Wilson Sporting Goods, and ZBest Executive & Global Transportation Services.

To learn more about the Golden Arm Award, please visit Golden Arm Foundation or Golden Arm Award. Additionally, please follow the conversation throughout the season on Twitter: @GoldenArmAward or use the hashtag, #GoldenArmAward.

Players Mentioned

Brandon Harris

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