Cal's Michael Saffell Named Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Bears center has graduated but will return for 2021 season

Cal center Michael Saffell was named the 2020 Pac-12 Football Scholar Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. 

The award is presented in each of the 24 sports sponsored by the Pac-12 and was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their respective sports.

"I am so grateful to the Pac-12 for selecting me as the football scholar-athlete of the year," Saffell said in a statement. "It is truly an incredible honor. I want to thank the Cal coaches, professors and support staff who have helped me achieve this award. I am so grateful to so many people at the university for all they have done for me in my athletic and academic career."

Saffell has been a starter on the Bears offensive line each of the past three season, and even started two games as a true freshman in 2017. He was a guard as a freshman and sophomore before moving over to center as a junior in 2019.

Although 2020 was Saffell's fourth year of college competition, this past season did not count against a player's eligibility. Saffell is one of several Cal seniors who have opted to return for the 2021 season.

Saffell is the fourth Cal player to win the award since its inception in 2007, joining placekicker Matt Anderson in 2017, center Alex Mack in 2008 and linebacker Mike Mohamed in 2010.

Saffell earned his bachelor's degree from Cal's Haas School of Business in three-and-a-half years in December of 2020 and had a 3.62 undergraduate grade-point average. He was accepted into the university's Master of Information and Data Science program, which he began in January of 2021.

To be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, students must be a senior in athletics ability on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year residence at the institution. 

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