Temple University Athletics
Football's Russo Named to The Golden Arm Award 2019 Watch List
8.19.19 | Football
BALTIMORE, Md. - The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® along with presenting sponsor A. O. Smith Corporation announced the 2019 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list which includes Temple reshirt-junior quarterback Anthony Russo. The award is presented annually to the top senior or fourth-year junior quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation.
The Doylestown, Pa., native took over the starting quarterback job in week three of the 2018 season leading Temple to its first win of the season, a 35-14 blowout at Maryland. He never looked back piloting the Owls to a 7-3 record in his 10 starts and a berth in the 2018 Independence Bowl. Along the way he completed 198 passes for 2,563 yards which rank among the best in TU history. In just his sixth start, he led the Owls to an overtime win against #20 Cincinnati and followed that with perhaps his best game the next week. On a nationally televised Thursday night stage, Russo went toe-to-toe with Heisman candidate Milton McKenzie reaching career-highs in attempts (52), completions (31), yards (444), and touchdowns (4). Temple fell however, 52-40, at #9 UCF.
Earlier this year, Russo was named to the 2019 Maxwell Award Watch List. He joins 48 others in the 2019 Class, including seven from the American Athletic Conference. Included on the distinguished list is:
Jack Abraham (Southern Mississippi), Blake Barnett (USF), • Woody Barrett (Kent State), Jake Bentley (South Carolina), Anthony Brown (Boston College), Kelly Bryant (Missouri), Joe Burrow (LSU), Stephen Buckshot Calvert (Liberty), Marcus Childers (NIU), K.J. Costello (Stanford), Jacob Eason (Washington), Caleb Evans (Louisiana-Monroe), Mason Fine (North Texas), Feleipe Franks (Florida), Mitchell Guadagni (Toledo), Jarrett Guarantano (Tennessee), Gage Gubrud (Washington State), Quentin Harris (Duke), Justin Herbert (Oregon), Kelvin Hopkins, Jr. (Army), Tyler Huntley (Utah), Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma), Josh Jackson (Maryland), D'Eriq King (Houston), Brian Lewerke (Michigan State), Jordan Love (Utah State), Jake Luton (Oregon State), Cole McDonald (Hawaii), Justin McMillan (Tulane), Steven Montez (Colorado), James Morgan (FIU), Riley Neal (Vanderbilt), Kato Nelson (Akron), Shea Patterson (Michigan), Bryce Perkins (Virginia), Malcolm Perry (Navy), Peyton Ramsey (Indiana), Armani Rogers (UNLV), Nathan Rourke (Ohio), J'Mar Smith (Louisiana Tech), Nate Stanley (Iowa), Dillon Sterling-Cole (Arizona State), Khalil Tate (Arizona), Zac Thomas (Appalachian State), Skylar Thompson (Kansas State), Brady White (Memphis), Ryan Willis (Virginia Tech), Brandon Wimbush (UCF).
The Golden Arm Award is entering the second year of its partnership with A. O. Smith. "We are very proud and honored to continue this partnership with A. O. Smith," commented John Unitas Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation. "The entire A. O. Smith organization has truly embraced all that the award represents and we look forward to continuing that momentum for many years to come."
"A. O. Smith has a legacy of innovation and performance in the water heating and water treatment industries, much like Johnny Unitas did on the football field. Both of these iconic names have been around for decades and share many of each other's values," said Jeff Storie, A. O. Smith's director of marketing.
Sharing a tradition of innovation with Unitas, who invented football's two minute drill, A. O. Smith has been an innovator in its industry for more than a century. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional competitive advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and field supports one of the world's broadest lines of residential and commercial water heaters, water treatment products as well as commercial boilers. This single-source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by decades of research and innovation.
Other sponsors of the Golden Arm Award Presented by A. O. Smith Corporation include: MedStar Sports Medicine, The Babe Ruth Museum, Century Engineering, Comcast, Dunbar Security Solutions, Dunbar Protective Services, Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, Haddock Investments, Harvey Agency, HMS Insurance Associates, Inc., Milwaukee Tool, PSAV, Panini, TRAY, The Scott Garceau Show, SILKS, Wilson Sporting Goods, Wolf Professional Security, and ZBest Executive & Global Transportation Services.
To learn more about the Golden Arm Award, please visit: Golden Arm Foundation or Golden Arm Award. Additionally, please follow the conversation throughout the season on Twitter: @GoldenArmAward and use the hashtags #GoldenArmAward and #InnovationLeaders.
