WASHINGTON, D.C. – Fresh off of winning the 2017 NCAA Division II Football National Championship, Texas A&M University-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez has accepted his invitation to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January, as announced by NFLPA Collegiate Bowl staff on Monday.
 
The seventh annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will be played on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., which has been the site of five Super Bowls and numerous major college football games. The contest, scheduled for a 1 p.m. PST (3 p.m. CST) kickoff, will be televised on FS1.
 
Founded in 2012, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl gives prospective players the best opportunity to showcase their talents to potential employers and fans. Nearly 200 scouts, player personnel staff, general managers and head coaches from all 32 NFL teams are expected be in attendance to watch live practices, conduct player interviews and review tape.
 
Perez is the winner of the 2017 Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded the top Division II college football player in the nation. He completed 421-of-596 passes for 4,999 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The 4,999 yards are the fourth-most by a quarterback in a single Division II season. He also set a Division II Championship records for pass completions (144), pass attempts (211) and passing yards (1,570). He became the first quarterback to pass for over 300 yards in the National Championship game since 2005 and tied a Lone Star Conference record for the most 200-yard passing games in a season with 14.
 
He became the first Harlon Hill Trophy winner to also win a Division II National Championship since 2002 and only the sixth overall in the 32-year history of Division II's premier football award.
 
For his career, the Chula Vista, Calif., native completed 665-of-985 passes for 8,325 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He was the starting quarterback for 28 games, leading the Lions to a 25-3 record, two NCAA Division II playoff appearances, and a Lone Star Conference championship. He completed his collegiate career leading the Lions on a 10-game winning streak, which is the longest active winning streak in Division II.
 
He was named a First Team All-American by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association and the Associated Press, and a Second Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. He was also named the Ron Lenz Offensive Player of the Year by the D2CCA. He won the J.W. Rollins Award as the Lone Star Conference's Offensive Player of the Year and is a two-time First Team All-Lone Star Conference selection at quarterback.