RICHARDSON – Luis Perez, who led the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team to the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship, has been named the Lone Star Conference Male Athlete of the Year, as announced by the league office Tuesday.
 
Perez is the first Lion student-athlete to ever win the prestigious Athlete of the Year award, which is selected from the LSC's Player of the Year winners across all sports throughout the year. The award was initiated in 1999.
 
"Luis Perez is the ultimate student-athlete who we were fortunate to have here at A&M-Commerce," said A&M-Commerce head football coach Colby Carthel. "He achieved at the highest level possible as a player, scholar, and citizen. This award is a fitting end to such an incredible career!"
 
Perez was 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 5,001 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The 5,001 yards are the fourth-most by a quarterback in a single Division II season. He also set 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, Perez completed 665-of-985 passes for 8,327 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 D2Football.com, the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, the Associated Press, and Don Hansen's Football Gazette, 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, D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Year, and Don Hansen's Football Gazette Offensive Player of the Year. 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.
 
Perez is currently on the Los Angeles Rams' roster. He signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in May.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Year	Male Winner
2018	Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce, Sr., Football
2017	Daeshon Francis, UT Permian Basin, Jr., Men's Basketball
	Marshall Kasowski, West Texas A&M, Jr., Baseball
2016	Marqui Christian, Midwestern State, Sr., Football
2015	Steve Naemark, Angelo State, Jr., Baseball
2014	Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M, Sr., Football
2013	Alex Carpenter, Abilene Christian, Sr., Golf
2012	Nick Jones, Abilene Christian, Sr., Track & Field
2011	Chase Larsson, Cameron, Jr., Baseball
2010	Cyril Bouniol, Abilene Christian, Jr., Golf
2009	Bernard Scott, Abilene Christian, Sr., Football
2008	Sam Belt, Central Oklahoma, Sr., Basketball
2007	Nicodemus Naimadu, Abilene Christian, Sr., CC/Track & Field
2006	Danieal Manning, Abilene Christian, Football
2005	Drew Beard, Southeastern Okla., Football
2004	Cole Province, Central Oklahoma, Wrestling
2003	Olan Coleman, Tarleton State, Football/Track & Field
2002	Steve Kelly, Tarleton State, Football
2001	Roberto Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Football/Track & Field
2000	Roberto Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Football/Track & Field
1999	Eddie Robinson, Central Oklahoma, Basketball