Manning Award Recogzies Painter

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - For the second consecutive year, Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter has been named to the Manning Award watch list. Painter joins fellow Big Ten quarterbacks Juice Williams of Illinois, Chad Henne of Michigan and Anthony Morelli of Penn State on this year's list of 35 hopefuls.

With two 400-yard passing games and four 300-yard passing games already under his belt, Painter enters this season with nine returning starters from an offense that ranked seventh in the nation in total offense (292.3) and passing yards (284.6). Painter broke the single-season Big Ten record for passing yards with 3,985 last season, starting all 14 games and completing 315 passes. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten from the coaches, a USA Today College Football Player of the Week nomination, Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.

The Manning Award, which is maintained by the Sugar Bowl, was created in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning and is presented following the holiday bowl season to college football's top quarterback. It is the only quarterback award which takes into consideration the candidates' bowl performances.

Since its inception in 2005, the Manning Award has been presented to USC's Matt Leinart, Texas' Vince Young and LSU's JaMarcus Russell. Each winner has gone on to become a first round draft pick in the NFL.

The winner of this year's Manning Award will be determined by a select panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings. Finalists for the award will be announced prior to the beginning of the bowl season.