Nov. 27, 2006

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Junior quarterback Ricky Santos of New Hampshire, the 2006 Atlantic 10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year, has been named one of three finalists for the prestigious Walter Payton Award, it was announced on Monday.

Presented by The Sports Network to the most outstanding player in I-AA, Santos is joined by Northern Arizona senior quarterback Jason Murrietta and senior running back Arkee Whitlock of Southern Illinois.

The voting was conducted among more than 112 media members and media relations professionals and based on regular season performance, during which time Santos ranked in the top 10 nationally in completions (22.7 pg. - fourth), total offense (278.7 ypg. - sixth) and passing yards (2,681 - seventh). The Bellingham, MA, resident tossed a league-high 23 touchdown passes and shared the league lead with four 300-yard passing performances. Santos also rushed for 385 yards and a league-high 12 touchdowns. With Santos at the helm, the Wildcats ended the regular season 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the A-10 while being ranked first nationally for five weeks. The junior signal caller became the fourth player in league history and first since former Villanova and current Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook (2000-01) to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors in successive seasons.

On Saturday, Santos passed for 315 yards and five touchdowns in the Wildcats' 41-38 win at Hampton in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship. UNH visits third-seeded Massachusetts at 2:30pm on Saturday in the quarterfinal round. Santos is the first A-10 player to finish in the top three in the voting for the Walter Payton Award in consecutive seasons since Westbrook finished third in 2000 before winning the award in 2001. Santos was runner-up in the voting to Eastern Washington quarterback Erik Meyer last year.

Vying to join Villanova's Brian Finneran (1997) as the only wide receivers to win the Walter Payton Award, New Hampshire senior David Ball finished fifth in the voting. The first-team All-Conference selection hauled in 82 passes for 990 yards during the regular season, along with 11 touchdown catches - tops in the Conference. On Saturday, Ball had five receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns, raising his career total to 58 scoring grabs, the most in I-AA history.

Massachusetts senior running back Steve Baylark, who led the A-10 in rushing (1,308) during the regular season en route to earning Atlantic 10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors, finished tenth in the voting. James Madison senior quarterback Justin Rascati, who completed 139-of-207 passes for 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns, finished 14th.

The 20th Annual I-AA College Football Awards will be held December 14 in Chattanooga, TN, on the eve of the finals of the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship.

Santos is vying to become the fifth player and second quarterback in Atlantic 10 history to win the Walter Payton Award. In 2004, then-senior quarterback Lang Campbell of William & Mary became the first-ever A-10 signal caller to win the award. Finneran and Westbrook were presented with the Walter Payton Award in 1997 and 2001, respectively, while former New Hampshire running back Jerry Azumah received the honor in 1998. Finneran is a member of the Atlanta Falcons and Westbrook is with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2004. Azumah retired after seven seasons with the Chicago Bears.

The Atlantic 10 has now had a player finish in the top three of the voting for the prestigious award in each of the last seven seasons.