SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University senior offensive center Brandon Fusco's status as one of the top collegiate football student athletes in the nation and a bonafide NFL prospect was further validated Friday when he received an official invitation to participate in the 62nd Under Armour Senior Bowl.

The 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl game will be played Saturday, Jan. 29, at Ladds-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The NFL Network will televise the game live. Kickoff is 3 p.m. CDT.

Fusco is the first player in Rock history to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl, widely recognized as football's premier pre-draft showcase.

Fusco was a little overwhelmed by the honor.

“Slippery Rock has had a great tradition and a lot of great players over the years, so to be the first Rock player to be invited to play in the Senior Bowl means a lot to me,” he said. “It makes me very proud; it's a tremendous honor.”

“I am very happy to have been given this opportunity to play in what's usually a Division I all-star game,” he added. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I can't wait to play against 'the big boys' and show everyone what I can do.”

Rock Head Football Coach George Mihalik was understandably happy for and proud of Fusco's earning a spot on the Senior Bowl roster.

“The Senior Bowl is the top all-star game in the nation, so the fact Brandon has been selected to play in that game clearly shows he is one of the top centers in the country,” Rock Head Football Coach George Mihalik said. “The nation will now be able to see what we have known for several years, that Brandon is a big-time player.”

“This is a great honor for both Brandon and Rock Football,” Mihalik added. “He is truly deserving of the recognition. Everyone associated with Rock Football is very proud of and happy for him.”

Fusco is one of three Division II student athletes who will participate in this year's Senior Bowl. He is joined in that elite group by Abilene Christian wide receiver Edmond Gates and Southern Arkansas defensive lineman Cedric Thornton

“The Senior Bowl has a long history of affording the opportunity to guys from smaller schools to showcase their talents in front of the top decision makers in the National Football League,” Senior Bowl President and CEO Steve Hale said. “All three of these guys are great players and will have no problem competing against players from larger schools here in Mobile next week.”

According to the all-time Senior Bowl roster posted on the event's official web site, www.seniorbowl.com, Fusco will be only the fourth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference student athlete to play in the prestigious game. He joins an elite group that includes former Bloomsburg University offensive lineman Eric Jonassen (1992), former Kutztown University linebacker John Mobley (1996) and former Indiana, Pa. offensive lineman Leander Jordan (2000).

Being part of that elite group bodes well for Fusco since Jordan and Mobley each went on to play eight seasons in the NFL and Jonassen was a five-year NFL player.

Fusco will be a member of this year's Senior Bowl North team under the direction of head coach Marvin Lewis and the staff of the  NFL Cincinnati Bengals. The South squad will under the direction of the Buffalo Bills coaching staff headed by Chan Gailey.

Fusco also understands the significance of his Senior Bowl invitation to The Rock football program.

“Now when the coaches talk to a recruit they can say 'one of our players got invited to play in the Senior Bowl,'” he said. “Not many Division II coaches can say that, so I know this can really help them get better players.”

In order to prepare for the Senior Bowl, Fusco declined invitations to play in three other postseason all-star games: The Cactus Bowl (Division II players only), East/West Shrine Game and the NFLPA Game.

“Getting invited to all four of the all-star games was a great honor,” Fusco said. “Very few, if any, Division II players get that opportunity, so it is truly gratifying to be invited to all four games. It shows me all my hard work has paid off.”

Earning invitations to the postseason all-star games is the culmination of a success-laden career for Fusco, who is ranked sixth among all NFL draft-eligible centers by cbssports.com, top-ranked among college-division centers, and projected to be a fifth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft

A 6-foot-5, 310-pound native of Cranberry Township and graduate of Seneca Valley High School, Fusco won the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award as well as the Dave Rimington Award presented to the top Division II center in the nation.

He was also named to the Associated Press Little All-America team that honors the top NCAA Division II and Division III and NAIA players and earned first-team Postseason All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association and Daktronics. He also received first-team All-Super Region One honors from Don Hansen's Football Gazette and first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division honors for the third consecutive season.

Prior to the 2010 season, Fusco garnered first-team Preseason All-America honors from The Sporting News, Consensus Draft Services, d2football.com and d2proday.com last summer.

Fusco completed his fall-semester academics early to allow him to leave Slippery Rock in early December to begin workouts at the nationally recognized Performance Institute at the IMG Sports Academies in Bradenton, Fla.

Fusco said he is truly appreciative of the efforts for The Rock coaching staff, in particular Coach Mihalik, Offensive Coordinator Vic Campagna, Offensive Line Coach Joe Walton and Defensive Coordinator Shawn Lutz.

“Coach Mihalik and I have made a great connection the last five years and he's gotten me to where I am today. I can't thank him enough for that,” Fusco said. “Coach Lutz recruited me and has become a very good friend. I wouldn't be where I'm at now without him. And Coach Walton and Coach Campagna have pushed me every day to be the best I can be. I thank them immensely for that.”

“All the coaches at The Rock have had a hand in my development and getting me to this point in my career, so I really want to thank each and every one of them,” he added.

Note: Rock Sports Information Director Bob McComas will be in Mobile for Senior Bowl festivities and will file daily blogs, video and still-picture reports on Fusco's preparation for the game.

Related links:
2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl web site: http://www.seniorbowl.com/index.asp
IMG Performance Institute: http://www.imgacademies.com/img-performance-institute/