December 7, 2010

Penn's Samson Named Finalist for Fred Mitchell Award

Courtesy of Penn Athletic Communications

PHILADELPHIA -- Senior kicker Andrew Samson finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in University Of Pennsylvania football history. On Monday, he was named one of the 10 finalists for the 2010 Fred Mitchell Award, which is provided to theplacekicker that best excels on the football field and in the community in theFootball Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, Division III and NAIA divisions combined.

The placekicker chosen for the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced by Dec. 15, and he will be honored on Feb. 21, 2011 at the National Football Foundation Chicago Chapter Awards Ceremony at Halas Hall.

This season, Samson earned his third career All-Ivy honor in finishing second on Penn's undefeated Ivy League championship team in scoring. The West Bloomfield, Mich., native rewrote the Penn record book, setting seven school records in 2010, including becoming the leading scorer for the football program that holds the NCAA record for games played (1,313). Samson played and scored in all 40 career games and finished with 238 points which is the 11th most points scored by any player in Ivy League history and second among kickers.

In all, the four-year letterwinner has nine school records and holds the Ivy League record for field goals made in Ivy play in a season.He is also third in league history in career made field goals and made 109 of his 110 career extra point attempts, including a school record 88 in a row.

Off the field, Samson has served as a Youth Social Event Coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHoP) for teens with special healthcare needs and was also a participant in the Penn Football program's "Be the Match" bone marrow program in each of the last three years. The Friars Senior Honor Society member is also a Wharton School Peer Mentor where he has earned Academic All-Ivy recognition and is a three-time Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area honoree.

Samson, a 2008 AP Third-Team All-American, was named to the preseason Fred Mitchell Award Watch List in August. No. 13/14 Penn completed its second straight undefeated Ivy League season - just the third time that has ever occurred - with eight straight wins to finish the season with a 9-1 record overall. Penn currently holds the longest-active conference winning streak in the nation at 15 games.

For a complete list and details of the other nine finalists click the link atop the release. Further details about the Award and the Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee are provided at www.fredmitchellaward.com.