Photo by: Pete Madia/Pitt Athletics
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett Wins Prestigious Senior CLASS Award
12/29/2021 1:00:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Pitt All-America quarterback Kenny Pickett has been selected the recipient of this year's Senior CLASS Award®, annually presented to the most outstanding senior Football Bowl Subdivision student-athlete. Pickett was chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I FBS football coaches, national media and fans.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the 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.
To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, community, character and competition.
Pickett is the first Pitt student-athlete to win the prestigious award.
"Kenny Pickett has succeeded in fulfilling the greatest of expectations that a student-athlete can have," said Erik Miner, Executive Director of the Senior CLASS Award. "He has created a standard for others to follow at the University of Pittsburgh and deserves all of the recognition he has received for his terrific season. We are proud to offer our congratulations to Kenny for winning this award."
"As student-athletes at the University of Pittsburgh, it is continually impressed upon us to be multi-dimensional," Pickett said. "We are far more than just football players, and we should always strive to achieve and impact the world well beyond the field. I am so thankful for those lessons and experiences because I know it will serve me throughout my life. That's why I am so incredibly honored to be the 2021 Senior CLASS Award recipient. To be recognized for achievement in those four areas—classroom, community, character and competition—is really the highest honor. Although my name is on the award, it really is a tribute to the many people who invested their time and talents in me while I was at Pitt, including my coaches, teammates, professors and our university administrators."
"Kenny Pickett truly represents all of the qualities that make the Senior CLASS Award so great," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. "On and off the field, Kenny set a high standard that inspired our entire program. He is incredibly deserving of this honor and I have no doubt that he will continue to make us proud in all that he does beyond Pitt."
On the football field, Pickett achieved the most prolific season ever by a Pitt quarterback. In 13 games, he completed 67% of his passes (334 of 497) for 4,319 yards with 42 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Including his five rushing scores, he totaled 47 touchdowns this season.
Pickett's passing yardage, passing touchdowns, total TDs and completions are all Pitt season records. He also set an ACC season record for touchdown passes (breaking the prior mark of 41 set by Clemson's Deshaun Watson in 2016).
Pickett even eclipsed the legendary Dan Marino in each of the Panthers' major career categories. Pickett stands as the Pitt's all-time leader in passing yards (12,303), pass completions (1,045), total offense (13,112), touchdown responsibility (102) and passing touchdowns (81). His 20 career rushing touchdowns are also a new standard for a Pitt quarterback.
In addition to his athletic excellence, Pickett is accomplished academically and from a community and leadership standpoint.
Pitt's two-time team captain earned his bachelor's degree in marketing and is enrolled in the Katz Graduate School of Business.
He has been nationally lauded for his NIL initiatives, which have emphasized philanthropy as well as his teammates. Pickett's volunteerism while on campus has included efforts with the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, Make-A-Wish of Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the Dollar Energy Fund and Voting Matters campaign. Pickett also donated his student-athlete per diem so that local youth teams could have resources to purchase bottled water for practices and games.
In addition to the Senior CLASS Award, Pickett garnered a number of other national honors this season.
He was named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Pickett was selected a first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Walter Camp Football Foundation, becoming the first Pitt quarterback to earn first-team status since Marino in 1981.
Additionally, Pickett was the Atlantic Coast Conference's overall Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
An invitee to the Reese's Senior Bowl all-star game, Pickett is considered one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the 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.
To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, community, character and competition.
Pickett is the first Pitt student-athlete to win the prestigious award.
"Kenny Pickett has succeeded in fulfilling the greatest of expectations that a student-athlete can have," said Erik Miner, Executive Director of the Senior CLASS Award. "He has created a standard for others to follow at the University of Pittsburgh and deserves all of the recognition he has received for his terrific season. We are proud to offer our congratulations to Kenny for winning this award."
"As student-athletes at the University of Pittsburgh, it is continually impressed upon us to be multi-dimensional," Pickett said. "We are far more than just football players, and we should always strive to achieve and impact the world well beyond the field. I am so thankful for those lessons and experiences because I know it will serve me throughout my life. That's why I am so incredibly honored to be the 2021 Senior CLASS Award recipient. To be recognized for achievement in those four areas—classroom, community, character and competition—is really the highest honor. Although my name is on the award, it really is a tribute to the many people who invested their time and talents in me while I was at Pitt, including my coaches, teammates, professors and our university administrators."
"Kenny Pickett truly represents all of the qualities that make the Senior CLASS Award so great," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. "On and off the field, Kenny set a high standard that inspired our entire program. He is incredibly deserving of this honor and I have no doubt that he will continue to make us proud in all that he does beyond Pitt."
On the football field, Pickett achieved the most prolific season ever by a Pitt quarterback. In 13 games, he completed 67% of his passes (334 of 497) for 4,319 yards with 42 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Including his five rushing scores, he totaled 47 touchdowns this season.
Pickett's passing yardage, passing touchdowns, total TDs and completions are all Pitt season records. He also set an ACC season record for touchdown passes (breaking the prior mark of 41 set by Clemson's Deshaun Watson in 2016).
Pickett even eclipsed the legendary Dan Marino in each of the Panthers' major career categories. Pickett stands as the Pitt's all-time leader in passing yards (12,303), pass completions (1,045), total offense (13,112), touchdown responsibility (102) and passing touchdowns (81). His 20 career rushing touchdowns are also a new standard for a Pitt quarterback.
In addition to his athletic excellence, Pickett is accomplished academically and from a community and leadership standpoint.
Pitt's two-time team captain earned his bachelor's degree in marketing and is enrolled in the Katz Graduate School of Business.
He has been nationally lauded for his NIL initiatives, which have emphasized philanthropy as well as his teammates. Pickett's volunteerism while on campus has included efforts with the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, Make-A-Wish of Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the Dollar Energy Fund and Voting Matters campaign. Pickett also donated his student-athlete per diem so that local youth teams could have resources to purchase bottled water for practices and games.
In addition to the Senior CLASS Award, Pickett garnered a number of other national honors this season.
He was named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Pickett was selected a first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Walter Camp Football Foundation, becoming the first Pitt quarterback to earn first-team status since Marino in 1981.
Additionally, Pickett was the Atlantic Coast Conference's overall Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
An invitee to the Reese's Senior Bowl all-star game, Pickett is considered one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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