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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Dec. 11, 2014) – Marcus Mariota, Amari Cooper, Melvin Gordon and Scooby Wright III among Award Recipients at The Home Depot College Football Awards.
Marcus Mariota of Oregon, Amari Cooper of Alabama, Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin and Scooby Wright III of Arizona each claimed top awards during the 24th annual The Home Depot College Football Awards hosted by Rece Davis, and joined by Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Tom Rinaldi and Samantha Ponder on ESPN Thursday night live from the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Mariota, a redshirt junior of Honolulu, Hawaii, took home two awards during the show – the Maxwell Award for the college player of the year and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. This marks the sixteenth time a quarterback has won both the Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award in the same year, the last being Cam Newton in 2010. Eight players that have won the Maxwell and O’Brien have gone on to win the Heisman Trophy.
Cooper won the Biletnikoff Award for the college defensive player of the year; Gordon won the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s outstanding running back; and Wright III took home the Chuck Bednarik Award for college defensive player of the year.
Other notable awards included the presentation of TCU’s Gary Patterson with The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award; former Baylor head coach and current AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff was honored with the NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award; Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob Stoops and junior wide receiver Sterling Shepard received the Disney Spirit Award; and Ole Miss linebacker Deterrian Shackelford was named the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Captain – one of college football’s most prestigious off-the-field honors determined by college football fan voters for the good work these players conduct, and their remarkable stories of service to others.
THE HOME DEPOT COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS WINNERS – (winner in bold)
| Chuck Bednarik Award
College Defensive Player of the Year |
Vic Beasley, Clemson (RS Graduate)
Joey Bosa, Ohio State (So.) Scooby Wright III, Arizona (So.) – Winner |
| Biletnikoff Award
Nation’s Outstanding College Receiver |
Amari Cooper, Alabama (Jr.) – Winner
Rashard Higgins, Colorado State (So.) Kevin White, West Virginia (Sr.) |
| Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
Nation’s Outstanding Placekicker |
Roberto Aguayo, Florida State* (RS So.)
Brad Craddock, Maryland (Jr.) – Winner Josh Lambert, West Virginia (RS So.) |
| Ray Guy Award
College Punter of the Year |
Tom Hackett, Utah (Jr.) – Winner
JK Scott, Alabama (Fr.) Austin Rehkow, Idaho (So.) |
| Maxwell Award
College Player of the Year |
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (RS Jr.)
Marcus Mariota, Oregon (RS Jr.) – Winner Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Jr.) |
| Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award
Nation’s Best Quarterback |
Trevone Boykin, TCU (Jr.)
Marcus Mariota, Oregon (RS Jr.) – Winner Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Jr.) |
| Outland Trophy
Nation’s Most Outstanding Interior Lineman |
Malcom Brown, Texas (Jr.)
Reese Dismukes, Auburn (Sr.) Brandon Scherff, Iowa (Sr.) – Winner |
| Jim Thorpe Award
Nation’s Best Defensive Back |
Landon Collins, Alabama (Jr.)
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon (Sr.) Gerod Holliman, Louisville (RS So.) – Winner |
| Doak Walker Award
Nation’s Premier Running Back |
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska (Sr.)
Tevin Coleman, Indiana (Jr.) Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (RS Jr.) – Winner |
The following players were also announced for the Walter Camp All-America Team:
| Player | Team | |
Player of the Year |
Marcus Mariota | Oregon |
| Offensive Team | ||
| Quarterback | Marcus Mariota | Oregon |
| Wide Receiver | Amari Cooper | Alabama |
| Wide Receiver | Rashard Higgins | Colorado State |
| Tight End | Nick O’Leary | Florida State |
| Offensive Lineman | Tre’ Jackson | Florida State |
| Offensive Lineman | Cedric Ogbuehi | Texas A&M |
| Offensive Lineman | Brandon Scherff | Iowa |
| Offensive Lineman | Laken Tomlinson | Duke |
| Center | Reese Dismukes | Auburn |
| Running Back | Tevin Coleman | Indiana |
| Running Back | Melvin Gordon | Wisconsin |
| Defensive Team | ||
| Defensive Lineman | Vic Beasley | Clemson |
| Defensive Lineman | Joey Bosa | Ohio State |
| Defensive Lineman | Nate Orchard | Utah |
| Defensive Lineman | Shane Ray | Missouri |
| Linebacker | Paul Dawson | TCU |
| Linebacker | Hau’oli Kikaha | Washington |
| Linebacker | Scooby Wright III | Arizona |
| Defensive Back | Landon Collins | Alabama |
| Defensive Back | Ifo Ekpre-Olomu | Oregon |
| Defensive Back | Senquez Golson | Ole Miss |
| Defensive Back | Gerod Holliman | Louisville |
| Special Teams | ||
| Placekicker | Roberto Aguayo | Florida State |
| Punter | Tom Hackett | Utah |
| Punt Returner | Jamarcus Nelson | UAB |
Three additional awards were announced during The Red Carpet Special at The Home Depot College Football Awards hosted by Ponder, Rinaldi and Danny Kanell on ESPNU:
- Rimington Trophy (nation’s outstanding center): Reese Dismukes, Auburn
Dismukes is the first Rimington Trophy winner from Auburn and fifth SEC player to win and second in last three seasons.
- John Mackey Award (nation’s outstanding tight end): Nick O’Leary, Florida State
O’Leary is the first Florida State player to win and third ACC player to win.
- William V. Campbell Trophy (academic success, football performance and community leadership): David Helton, Duke
Helton is the first Duke player to win and second ACC player to win, joining Virginia’s Thomas Burns in 1993.
Several other awards were recognized during this year’s show:
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation’s outstanding defensive player): Scooby Wright III, Arizona
- Frank Broyles Award (top assistant coach): Tom Herman, Ohio State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
- Rotary Lombardi Award (nation’s outstanding lineman): Scooby Wright III, Arizona
Notes:
Scooby Wright III (Arizona), winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award (College Defensive Player of the Year)
– Joins USC’s Rey Maualuga (2008) as the only Pac-12 players to win award
– Second linebacker to win award in last three seasons (2012 Manti Te’o of Notre Dame)
Amari Cooper (Alabama), winner of the Biletnikoff Award (Nation’s Outstanding College Receiver)
– First Alabama player to win award
– Joins LSU’s Josh Reed (2001) as the only SEC players to win award
– Fifth straight year winner will finish with 110+ Rec
Brad Craddock (Maryland), winner of Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (Nation’s Outstanding Placekicker)
– First Maryland player to win award
– Third Big Ten player to win award, joining Iowa’s Nate Keading (2002) and Ohio State’s Mike Nugent (2004)
Tom Hackett (Utah), winner of the Ray Guy Award (College Punter of the Year)
– First Utah player to win award
– First Pac-12 player to win award
– First Power-5 Conference player to win since 2010 (Florida’s Chas Henry)
Marcus Mariota (Oregon), winner of the Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year)
– First Oregon player to win award
– Second Pac-12 player to win award in last 4 seasons (2011 Andrew Luck, Stanford)
– Seeking to become the first player to win Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy in same season since Cam Newton in 2010
– Only once in the past six seasons has the Maxwell Award winner won the Heisman Trophy in the same year (2010 Cam Newton)
Marcus Mariota (Oregon), winner of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award
– Joins UCLA’s Troy Aikman (1988) as only Pac-12 players to win award
– Seeking to become fifth straight player to win Davey O’Brien Award and Heisman Trophy in same season
– The Davey O’Brien winner has also won the Heisman Trophy in seven of the last eight seasons
Scooby Wright III (Arizona), winner of the Outland Trophy (Nation’s Most Outstanding Interior Lineman)
– Joins USC’s Rey Maualuga (2008) as the only Pac-12 players to win award
– Second LB to win award in last 3 seasons (2012 Manti Te’o of Notre Dame)
Gerod Holliman (Louisville), winner of the Jim Thorpe Award (Nation’s Best Defensive Back)
– First Louisville player to win award
– First ACC player to win award
– First player not from SEC or Big Ten to win award since 2007 (Arizona’s Antoine Cason)
Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), winner of the Doak Walker Award (Nation’s Premier Running Back)
– Third Wisconsin player to win award (1999 Ron Dayne, 2012 Montee Ball)
– Seventh Big Ten player to win award
– Second straight season winner has rushed for 2,000 yards
Contacts:
Derek Volner, ESPN Communications, 860-766-8019, Derek.Volner@espn.com
Liz McCollum, Brener Zwikel & Associates on behalf of ESPN Events, 813-421-0550 or elizabethm@bzapr.com