HATTIESBURG – Accolades continue to roll in for Northwest alumnus and Southern Miss senior quarterback
Jack Abraham, as the Golden Eagles' gunslinger was named to the 2020 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List on Tuesday afternoon.
Presented by the A.O. Smith Corporation, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the top senior and upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on and off the field.
Abraham is the second Northwest quarterback in three years to be nominated for the award, joining Gardner Minshew, who won the award in 2018 after an impressive senior campaign at Washington State.
This is the fourth preseason honor for the Oxford native and former Northwest quarterback, after earning a nod to the Manning Award Watch List and a pair of preseason All-Conference USA honors from Phil Steele Magazine and Athlon Sports earlier in the summer.
Abraham started in all 13 games a season ago and became only the third Southern Miss QB to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season. The second-year starter finished the year with 3,496 passing yards, tying him with Austin Davis (2011) for the second-most passing yards thrown in a season.
Abraham's passing efficiency of 144.48 for the year is third best for a Southern Miss quarterback in a season, while his 275 completions ranks as fourth-most. He tossed at least one TD pass in 11 of 13 games and threw for over 200 yards on nine occasions, 300 yards in four games and 400 yards twice.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, Abraham led the nation with a 73.1 completion percentage, finishing slightly ahead of Minshew's 70.7 completion percentage.
During his one season in Senatobia, Abraham threw for 2,949 yards and finished with 214 completions and 23 touchdown passes, leading Northwest to an 8-3 overall record, the 2017 MACJC North Division championship and an appearance in the Graphic Edge Bowl, the Rangers' third straight bowl game. Despite a gut-wrenching 67-66 2OT loss to East Mississippi in the conference championship match, Abraham posted a legendary performance with 34 completions for 487 yards and five touchdowns.
Giving life to the commitment to give back, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and presenting sponsor A. O. Smith continue to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young scholar athletes. A. O. Smith is committed to creating innovative solutions that set new standards for their industry.
To learn more about the Golden Arm Award, please visit: Golden Arm Foundation or Golden Arm Award. Additionally, please follow the conversation throughout the college football season on Twitter (@GoldenArmAward) and use the hashtags #GoldenArmAward and #InnovationLeaders.
