Pesek to be featured in Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® video tribute during halftime of Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1st

GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines' David Pesek has been selected as one of the student-athletes to be featured in an Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® video tribute that will be televised during halftime of the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Friday, January 1st, 2010.

A 6'3", 210-lb. senior quarterback from Centennial, Colo. (Arapahoe High School), Pesek was one of 22 nationwide college football players (all divisions) selected to the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team this fall.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which honors college football players who make outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement, was established in 1992 by the College Football Association to recognize the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff on and off the field.

The 76th Allstate Sugar Bowl will be televised nationally by FOX at 6:00 p.m. (MST) on January 1st, 2010.  All student-athletes named to the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team have been invited to attend the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, La.

Pesek's footage for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team video tribute was filmed on location at Colorado School of Mines on Thursday, November 19th.

In June of 2008, Pesek traveled to Afghanistan with eight other men from his church to embark upon a seven-day goodwill trip in the refugee camp of Barek Aub.  In 2007, the Afghan government relocated over 600 families of refugees from Kabul to Barek Aub, which lacks a reliable water source and is surrounded by landmines.  Pesek's group traveled 36 hours across 17 countries and 10 time zones in an effort to support Barek Aub's need for construction, health care and education.  Barek Aub, or "fragile water" in the native Dari language, is a bare and inhospitable area located approximately one hour north of Kabul.

"I think that each one of us learned something from the hope and optimism painted on the faces of the Barek Aub children," said Pesek.  "I became part of a strong family there, and although I came home in one piece physically, I left my heart to the people of Afghanistan."

Pesek, who was one of national candidates for the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2009 as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year, was named Pre-Season RMAC Offensive Player of the Year and Pre-Season First Team All-RMAC (d2football.com) prior to the 2009 season.  Selected as the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame - Colorado Chapter (NFFCC) Player of the Week on two occasions this season, Pesek was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week following the Orediggers' season finale on November 7th when he tossed six touchdown passes (36-of-48; no interceptions) and became the first single-game 500-yard passer in school history (506 yards).

Earlier this fall, Pesek, who completed 277-of-425 passes (only six interceptions) this year while starting all 11 games, was featured on the NCAA on Campus television show (CBS College Sports network).  Pesek finished the regular season ranked first in the RMAC and third in the nation (NCAA Division II) in passing yards (3,531), first in the RMAC and fifth in the country in passing yards per game (321.0), first in the nation and sixth (tied) in the nation in passing touchdowns (28), first in the RMAC and seventh in the nation in completion percentage (65.2), and first in the conference and eighth in the nation in total offense (314.9 yards per game).  Pesek, who was named Second Team All-RMAC this fall, also finished the regular season ranked second in the RMAC and 14th in the nation in passing efficiency (153.88).  Pesek was featured in a story by Woody Paige in The Denver Post on November 8th.

A First Team All-RMAC and First Team NFFCC All-Colorado pick following his junior year in 2008, Pesek garnered Honorable Mention All-RMAC recognition as a sophomore in 2007.  The President of CSM's Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Pesek earned his bachelor's degree (Electrical Engineering) in May of 2009 and is currently pursuing his master's degree in Mechanical Engineering (pre-med).  Pesek has earned multiple Academic Achievement Awards, as well as recognition on the Dean's List, at CSM.

Pesek departs the Orediggers ranked first in the CSM career record book in pass completions (799) and pass attempts (1,253), as well as second in school history in passing yards (9,159), touchdown passes (65) and completion percentage (63.8).

For more information about Colorado School of Mines Athletics, please contact Sports Information Director Jeff Duggan at jduggan@mines.edu.

-- OREDIGGERS --