The Davey O’Brien Award is a prestigious honor in college football that recognizes the best quarterback in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Here’s an overview of its origins and significance:
Origins and History
The award was established in 1977, shortly after the death of Davey O’Brien, a legendary football player. It was initially called the Davey O’Brien Memorial Trophy and was given to the most outstanding player in the Southwest region. In 1981, the award was renamed the Davey O’Brien Award and refocused specifically on quarterbacks.
Namesake
Davey O’Brien was a star quarterback for Texas Christian University (TCU). In 1938, he became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award in the same year. O’Brien was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
Award Significance
The Davey O’Brien Award is considered the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. It aims to honor quarterbacks who embody the attributes of Davey O’Brien, evaluating candidates based on:
- Quarterback skills and athletic ability
- Academic performance
- Character
- Reputation as a team player
- Leadership
- Sportsmanship
Impact
In addition to the main Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the Davey O’Brien Foundation has created three other awards over the years:
- Davey O’Brien High School Scholarship: This award provides financial support to outstanding high school student-athletes.
- Davey O’Brien Legends Award: This honor recognizes a quarterback who has made significant contributions to the game of football both on and off the field.
- Charles Ringler Founder’s Award: Named after the Foundation’s founder, this award likely recognizes individuals who have made notable contributions to the Foundation or college football.
These additional awards complement the main National Quarterback Award and help the Foundation fulfill its broader mission of recognizing student-athletes for their achievements both on and off the field. The Foundation has given away more than $1.3 million in scholarships and university grants since 1977, aiming to help athletes develop leadership skills that extend beyond their athletic careers.
Selection Process
The Davey O’Brien Award selection process involves multiple stages, beginning with the creation of an initial Watch List of candidates approved by the Selection Committee. This list is not mandatory for winning the award. The committee votes to narrow down the candidates to 16 semifinalists, incorporating fan votes from social media platforms, which contribute to 5% of the overall decision. The top five fan vote-getters receive bonus ballots. After selecting three finalists through a similar voting process, the winner is determined by combining committee rankings and fan votes. The entire process emphasizes quarterback skills, leadership, and sportsmanship, culminating in the announcement of the winner during The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN in December.
This year The Davey O’Brien Foundation released a list of 35 quarterbacks who are now official candidates for the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. The complete list of nominees includes:
- Drew Allar (Penn State)
- Luke Altmyer (Illinois)
- Rocco Becht (Iowa State)
- Carson Beck (Georgia)
- Max Brosmer (Minnesota)
- Bryson Daily (Army West Point)
- Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)
- Kyron Drones (Virginia Tech)
- Quinn Ewers (Texas)
- Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)
- Eli Holstein (Pitt)
- Josh Hoover (TCU)
- Blake Horvath (Navy)
- Will Howard (Ohio State)
- Kevin Jennings (SMU)
- Avery Johnson (Kansas State)
- Cade Klubnik (Clemson)
- Riley Leonard (Notre Dame)
- Maddux Madsen (Boise State)
- John Mateer (Washington State)
- Jordan McCloud (Texas State)
- Kyle McCord (Syracuse)
- Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
- Chandler Morris (North Texas)
- Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)
- Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt)
- Jake Retzlaff (BYU)
- Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
- Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
- Tyler Shough (Louisville)
- Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati)
- Caden Veltkamp (Western Kentucky)
- Cam Ward (Miami)
- Hajj-Malik Williams (UNLV)
- Ben Wooldridge (Louisiana)
These 35 quarterbacks have led their teams to a combined record of 217-51 (.810) through week nine of the college football season. The next step in the selection process will be to narrow down this list to 16 semifinalists, which will be based on voting from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee and bonus ballots from the first round of the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote.
The Fan Vote is taking place on the award’s social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), with the top five vote-getters on each platform receiving bonus committee member ballots. The first round of voting will close on November 8, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET, and the semifinalists will be announced on November 12, 2024.
The three finalists will be announced on November 26, 2024, and the winner will be revealed live on December 12, 2024, during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.