Peter Lee ’02 has marched through the Yale record books during his two seasons as a starting quarterback, landing in some elite company among fellow Bulldogs. Last week, his on field performance combined with his academic record earned him recognition among the nations’ top scholar-athletes.

Lee was one of 16 students named to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame National College Scholar-Athlete class. Nationwide, 176 students were nominated for the award, based upon superior academic performance, outstanding football ability, strong leadership, and citizenship. Each scholar athlete will be awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will be honored at the foundation’s 44th Annual Awards Dinner held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Dec. 11.

“This is a great honor,” Lee said. “As a college student my number one priority is my education, and being able to study at a university like Yale, as well as play football, has been a very challenging and rewarding experience.”

An economics major with a 3.8 GPA, Lee obtained a perfect 4.0 his junior year at Yale, and in 1999, was inducted into the National Honor Society of Collegiate Scholars.

The Chicago native took every snap last season, setting Yale single-season passing records in completions (192) and completion percentage (61.9) while tying the touchdown record (19). Despite missing two games due to injury this season, Lee has already surpassed 3,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in his career.

In addition to his academic and football commitments, Lee has found time to give back to the community, volunteering at a children’s hospital and as a member of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Yale Tutoring/Mentoring programs.