NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt fifth-year senior linebacker Andre Mintze was one of 30 FBS student-athletes selected as a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Mintze, a two-time team captain, has taken on a variety of leadership roles within the team, been a starting linebacker for the last two years. He has played in 39 career games for the Commodores and made 15 starts. A 2020 preseason All-SEC selection, Mintze has totaled 63 career tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, five quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.
A 6-3, 249-pound Philadelphia native, Mintze embodies the best of what Vanderbilt football student-athletes stand for by excelling on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Academically, he earned his undergraduate degree in medicine, health and society in December and is pursuing a master’s degree in the same field to help him prepare for life after football. He is also a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and an aspiring vlogger with “Dre Mintze TV.”
Mintze has given back to the Vanderbilt community primarily through his annual Dancing Dores philanthropy program, a partnership between Dance Marathon, which is an organization that raises funds for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, and Vanderbilt’s athletic department. All revenue generated goes to the hospital. The effort has raised more than $40,000 in last two years. For his efforts, Mintze was the 2020 Vanderbilt Athletics Godfrey Dillard Courage Award recipient, presented annually since 2016-17 to the Commodore who overcomes adversity on or off the field, honoring the legacy of Godfrey Dillard.
To determine the final Senior CLASS Award winner, the 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists at the end of the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. Along with the winner, the 10 finalists will be awarded Senior CLASS Award first- or second-team honors.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the football bowl season in December.
Senior CLASS Award Candidates
Chase Allen, Iowa State
Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest
Tavante Beckett, Marshall
Ian Book, Notre Dame
Shane Buechele, SMU
Harry Crider, Indiana
Max Duffy, Kentucky
Keith Duncan, Iowa
Greg Eisworth, Iowa State
Miller Forristall, Alabama
Robert Hainsey, Notre Dame
Bryce Harris, Toledo
Tyriq Harris, Charlotte
Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina
Kingsley Jonathan, Syracuse
Kekaula Kaniho, Boise State
Cameron Kinley, Naval Academy
Andre Mintze, Vanderbilt
Jimmy Morrissey, Pittsburgh
Riley Patterson, Memphis
Kwity Paye, Michigan
Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Oregon State
Kody Russey, Louisiana Tech
Trey Smith, Tennessee
Darius Stills, West Virginia
Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
Kyle Trask, Florida
Shai Werts, Georgia Southern
Amadeo West, Military Academy
Brady White, Memphis
