DALLAS -- Colgete senior wide receiver Chris Looney was included Thursday among 147 candidates for the 2012 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Awards.

Looney is set to graduate in May with a degree in International Relations and History. He was a member of the 2011 Patriot League All-Academic Team and four times has been presented the Colgate University Dean's Award for Academic Excellence. He also was named a Charles A. Dana Scholar for "superior academic achievement as well as demonstrated leadership in the college community, and Looney is a four-time member of the Colgate Athletics Honor Roll.

On the field, Looney is tops in the Patriot League with three receiving touchdowns. The Verona, N.J., native leads the team and is third in the conference in receiving yards per game at 65.2. His totals for the season are 15 catches for 261 yards.

"This year's candidates truly embody the National Football Foundation's mission of building leaders through football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (1997 Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "They are standouts in the classroom and on the field and have become leaders in their respective communities. Each school should take great pride in being represented by such well-rounded young men who will undoubtedly go on to do great things in life."

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees for maintaining such high standards throughout their collegiate careers," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to showcase their achievements, and there is no question that the NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the final group of honorees from among this esteemed group."

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Thursday, Oct. 25. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2012 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City to be honored December 4 during the 55th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.

Read the entire release here.