Paye Named One of 10 Finalists for Senior CLASS Award
12/11/2020 11:50:00 AM | Football
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Senior defensive lineman Kwity Paye of the University of Michigan football team was named one of 10 finalists for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate football on Friday (Dec. 11).
Paye, who is the Big Ten's lone finalist for the award, is Michigan's first finalist since tight end Jake Butt won the honor in 2016. A 2020 team captain, Paye has made 16 tackles in four games in 2020, including four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. For his career, he has contributed 100 stops (23.5 for loss) with 11.5 sacks, one pass defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Off the field, Paye was recently named Academic All-Big Ten for the third time in his career. He is majoring in AfroAmerican & African Studies with a minor in entrepreneurship.
Over the summer, Paye was a leader by example and through his words as the world turned its attention to social change. He helped organize teammates and supporters at several events and helped lead a march through Ann Arbor supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. A native African whose family fled the Liberian Civil War, Paye is culturally connected to his major and to the movement in which he participates.
Paye also is an executive member of TUFF (The Uniform Funding Foundation), a 501c3 nonprofit organization which provides uniforms, gear and TUFF Talks from college and NFL players to teams comprised of at-risk youth in low-income communities. The organization was formed by Paye's U-M teammate Adam Shibley, and Paye has been an active member while the group has continued to grow its reach and impact.
To be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The acronym CLASS stands for "Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School," and the award focuses on the total student-athlete while encouraging students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Nationwide fan voting to help select the winner is open now through Monday, Dec. 21 at the Senior CLASS Award website. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the football bowl season in late December.
