Sept. 12, 2011
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa defensive back Shaun Prater`s interception return for a touchdown against Tennessee Tech on Sept. 3 is nominated for the 2011 GEICO Play of the Year, Intersport announced Monday. Each week, fans vote for the GEICO Play of the Year, with the winner being announced on GEICO presents Best of College Football 2011 on CBS Nov. 25 at 1:30 p.m. ET.
On Sept. 3 against Tennessee Tech, Prater out-jumped his man for a highlight reel interception before running 89 yards for a touchdown, helping the Hawkeyes win their season opener. To view this play, visit http://youtu.be/kJAKRzcTaOg. His interception return is competing against three other plays from week one, including an a kickoff return from West Virginia’s Tavon Austin, a one-handed catch from Ohio State’s Evan Spencer and a touchdown run from Oklahoma’s Dominique Whaley.
Prater, an Omaha, Neb., native, was honored by Lindy’s and Athlon Sports as a second team All-American and an honorable mention preseason All-American by Consensus Draft Services (CDS) prior to this season. The cornerback was also named preseason first team All-Big Ten by Lindy’s, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He was named to the Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player) watch list and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player) watch list. Prater (5-11, 180) intercepted four passes in 2010 and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by league coaches and media. The senior has started 24 career games.
The 89-yard interception return for a touchdown against Tennessee Tech is the second of his career, as he had a 33-yard touchdown against Penn State in 2010. Prater has seven career interceptions and ranks seventh at Iowa with 173 career interception return yards.
In addition to recognizing the season’s top plays, the one-hour CBS special will relive the season’s greatest moments, players and traditions. The show also marks the culmination of the GEICO Mobile Marketing Tour, an interactive fan experience that visits 30 marquee games throughout the football season.
Each week for nine weeks, four incredible college football plays will be nominated as the Play of the Year on the GEICO Best of College Football Facebook page (facebook.com/BestofCollegeFootball). A panel of college football experts will evaluate the nine fan favorites and name the 2011 GEICO Play of the Year.
To watch or support Prater, visit facebook.com/BestofCollegeFootball. Fans can vote as often as they would like and share their vote with their Facebook friends. Week one voting opened Monday and ends Sunday, Sept. 18 at 10:59 a.m. ET.
Iowa (1-1) hosts Pittsburgh Saturday in Kinnick Stadium. Game time is 11:01 a.m. CT.