Alabama’s Derrick Henry and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson among Award Recipients at The Home Depot 25th Anniversary College Football Awards

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Alabama’s Derrick Henry and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson among Award Recipients at The Home Depot 25th Anniversary College Football Awards

Derrick Henry of Alabama and Deshaun Watson of Clemson each claimed top awards during the The Home Depot 25th Anniversary College Football Awards hosted by Chris Fowler, and joined by Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Tom Rinaldi and Samantha Ponder on ESPN Thursday night live from the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience in Atlanta.

Henry, a junior from Yulee, Fla., took home two awards during the show – the Maxwell Award for the college player of the year and the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s premier running back.  This marks the fifth time a running back has won both the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award in the same year, the last being Larry Johnson in 2002.  Three players that have won the Maxwell and Doak have gone on to win the Heisman Trophy.  Watson, a sophomore from Gainesville, Ga., claimed the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.  He is the first Clemson quarterback to win the award and the fifth quarterback to win the award while playing in the ACC.

Tyler Matakevich won the Chuck Bednarik Award for the college defensive player of the year; Corey Coleman won the Biletnikoff Award for the outstanding receiver; Ka’imi Fairbairn claimed the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award; Tom Hackett repeated as the Ray Guy Award winner for college punter of the year; Joshua Garnett won the Outland Trophy for the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman; and Desmond King won the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation’s best defensive back.

Other notable awards included the presentation of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney with The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award; former Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer was honored with the NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award; Concordia University-St. Paul defensive lineman Hank Goff received the Disney Spirit Award; Oklahoma center Ty Darlington was featured as the National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Trophy (academic success) recipient; Georgia wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell was named Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®  captain – one of college football’s most prestigious off-the-field honors – for his standout community service and off-the-field contributions.

THE HOME DEPOT 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS WINNERS – (winner in bold)

Chuck Bednarik Award
College Defensive Player of the Year
Tyler Matakevich, Temple (Sr.) – WINNER  
Carl Nassib, Penn State (Sr.)
Reggie Ragland, Alabama (Sr.)
Biletnikoff Award
Outstanding Receiver
Corey Coleman, Baylor (Jr.) – WINNER
Josh Doctson, TCU (Sr.)
Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (Jr.)
Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
Nation’s Outstanding Placekicker
Daniel Carlson, Auburn (So.)
Jake Elliott, Memphis (Jr.)
Ka’imi Fairbairn, UCLA (Sr.) – WINNER
Ray Guy Award
College Punter of the Year
Michael Carrizosa, San Jose State (So.)
Tom Hackett, Utah (Sr.)* – WINNER
Hayden Hunt, Colorado State (RS Jr.)
Maxwell Award
College Player of the Year
Derrick Henry, Alabama (Jr.) – WINNER
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (So.)
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (So.)
Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award
Nation’s Best Quarterback
Trevone Boykin, TCU (Sr.)
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Jr.)
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (So.) – WINNER
Outland Trophy
Nation’s Most Outstanding Interior Lineman
Spencer Drango, Baylor (Sr.)
Joshua Garnett, Stanford (Sr.) – WINNER
A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama (Jr.)
Jim Thorpe Award
Nation’s Best Defensive Back
 

Jeremy Cash, Duke (RS Sr.)
Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida (Jr.)
Desmond King, Iowa (Jr.) – WINNER

Doak Walker Award
Nation’s Premier Running Back
Leonard Fournette, LSU (So.)
Derrick Henry, Alabama (Jr.) – WINNER
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Sr.)

 

The following players were also announced for the Walter Camp All-America Team:

  Player Team
Player of the Year

 

Derrick Henry Alabama
Offensive Team
Quarterback Baker Mayfield Oklahoma
Wide Receiver Corey Coleman Baylor
Wide Receiver Josh Doctson TCU
Tight End Hunter Henry Arkansas
Offensive Lineman Joshua Garnett Stanford
Offensive Lineman Spencer Drango Baylor
Offensive Lineman Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame
Offensive Lineman Taylor Decker Ohio State
Center Ryan Kelly Alabama
Running Back Derrick Henry Alabama
Running Back Leonard Fournette LSU
Defensive Team
Defensive Lineman Carl Nassib Penn State
Defensive Lineman Myles Garrett Texas A&M
Defensive Lineman Joey Bosa Ohio State
Defensive Lineman Shaq Lawson Clemson
Linebacker Reggie Ragland Alabama
Linebacker Jaylon Smith Notre Dame
Linebacker Tyler Matakevich Temple
Defensive Back Desmond King Iowa
Defensive Back Jeremy Cash Duke
Defensive Back Vernon Hargreaves, III Florida
Defensive Back Jalen Ramsey Florida State
Special Teams
Placekicker Ka’imi Fairbairn UCLA
Punter Tom Hackett Utah
Kick Returner Evan Berry Tennessee

 

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): Ryan Kelly, Alabama

Kelly is the second Alabama player to win award (2012 Barrett Jones)

  • John Mackey Award (nation’s outstanding tight end): Hunter Henry, Arkansas

Henry is the second winner from Arkansas (2010 D.J. Williams).  Arkansas is the only school with two winners.

  • Wuerffel Trophy (community service): Ty Darlington, Oklahoma

Darlington is the second Oklahoma player to win award (2013 Gabe Ikard)

Several other awards were recognized during this year’s show:

  • The Butkus Award (top linebacker): Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
  • Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation’s outstanding defensive player): Tyler Matakevich, Temple
  • Frank Broyles Award (top assistant coach): Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach
  • Rotary Lombardi Award (nation’s outstanding lineman): Carl Nassib, Penn State

National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA)

The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.  The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence.  Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.

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Notes:

Tyler Matakevich, Temple, winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award (College Defensive Player of the Year)

– the first player from Group-of-5 school to win award

– the first Temple player to win award

– the second straight linebacker and third in four seasons to win award (2014 Scooby Wright III – Arizona, 2012 Manti Te’o – Notre Dame)

Corey Coleman, Baylor, winner of the Biletnikoff Award (Nation’s Outstanding College Receiver)

– the first Baylor player to win award

– the third different Big 12 player to win award (2007 & ’08 Michael Crabtree – Texas Tech, 2010 & ’11 Justin Blackmon – Oklahoma State)

Ka’imi Fairbairn, UCLA, winner of Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (Nation’s Outstanding Placekicker)

–  joins Kai Forbath (2009) as only UCLA players to win award

–  the fifth player to win award while playing in Pac-12/10, tying the ACC for most from one conference (membership at time award was won)

Tom Hackett, Utah, winner of the Ray Guy Award (College Punter of the Year)

–  the second player to win award in consecutive seasons (2011 & ’12 Ryan Allen – Louisiana Tech)

–  joins Louisiana Tech’s Ryan Allen (2011 & ’12) and Baylor’s Daniel Sepulveda (2004 & ’06) as the only two-time winners of the award

Derrick Henry, Alabama, winner of the Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year)

– the second Alabama player to win award (2013 AJ McCarron)

– the 10th SEC player to win award (last was Alabama QB AJ McCarron in 2013)

– the first running back to win award since 2002 (Larry Johnson – Penn State)

– broke SEC single-season rushing record (1,986 yards)

– tied SEC single-season record for most 200+ Rush yard games (4)

Deshaun Watson, Clemson, winner of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award

– the first Clemson quarterback to win award

– the second ACC quarterback to win award in 3 seasons (2013 Jameis Winston – Florida State)

– the fifth quarterback to win award while playing in ACC

Joshua Garnett, Stanford, winner of the Outland Trophy (Nation’s Most Outstanding Interior Lineman)

– the first Stanford player to win award

– the seventh Pac-12 player to win award and first since 2002 (DT Rein Long – Washington State)

Desmond King, Iowa, winner of the Jim Thorpe Award (Nation’s Best Defensive Back)

– the first Iowa player to win award

– the seventh Big Ten player to win the award, tying the SEC for most from a conference (membership at time award was won)

Derrick Henry, Alabama, winner of the Doak Walker Award (Nation’s Premier Running Back)

– the second Alabama running back to win award (2011 Trent Richardson)

– the fourth different SEC running back to win award (1992 Garrison Hearst – Georgia, 2006 & ’07 Darren McFadden – Arkansas, 2011 Trent Richardson – Alabama)

Contacts:

Derek Volner, ESPN Communications, 860-766-8019, [email protected]

Liz McCollum, Brener Zwikel & Associates on behalf of ESPN Events, 813-421-0550 or [email protected]

Derek Volner

I currently lead ESPN’s NFL Communications, including Monday Night Football, NFL Draft and studio programming. Previously, I did the same for ESPN’s vast college football portfolio. I have been with ESPN since 2013.
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