FRISCO, Texas - Eastern Washington quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell capped a sensational two-year career for the Eagles by being selected as the winner of the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

The award was presented at the annual FCS Awards Banquet on Friday night. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Mitchell edged out the other two finalists - Lehigh quarterback Chris Lum and Indiana State running back Shakir Bell - for the award.

Mitchell received 57 first-place votes and 453 total. Lum and Bell each finished with 219 votes, with Lum receiving 16 first-place votes and Bell getting 10.

"It's an honor even to be mentioned in the final three," said Mitchell, who becomes the fourth Eastern player in the last seven seasons to win either the Payton Award or the Buck Buchanan Award (top defensive player in FCS). "But to win the award is a huge accomplishment not only for me but for Eastern and our community."

Eastern's Erik Meyer won the Payton Award in 2005.