The Paul Hornung Award

Louisville, Ky. – January 2, 2016 – Stanford sophomore Christian McCaffrey, winner of the 2015 Paul Hornung Award presented to the most versatile player in major college football, continued his record-setting season last night by leading the Cardinal to a 45-16 win over Iowa in the Rose Bowl.

The Paul Hornung Award is presented by Texas Roadhouse and owned and operated by the Louisville Sports Commission. Previous winners are Shaq Thompson, Univ. of Washington / Carolina Panthers; Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU / New York Giants; Tavon Austin, WVU / St. Louis Rams; Brandon Boykin, Georgia / Pittsburgh Steelers; and Owen Marecic, Stanford / Stanford Medical School. www.paulhornungaward.com

McCaffrey, an all-purpose back and return specialists, parlayed a 75-yard touchdown reception on the game’s first snap and a 63-yard punt return for a score into a Rose Bowl-record 368 all-purpose yards. He finished the night with 172 yards rushing, 105 receiving and 91 return yards, and became the first player ever in a Rose Bowl with more than 100 yards rushing and receiving. McCaffrey was named the game’s Offensive MVP.

“Paul Hornung’s college and professional career and Christian McCaffrey’s sophomore year at Stanford now are standards for all-purpose performers,” said Louisville Sports Commission President & CEO Karl Schmitt. “The comparisons go well beyond statistics, physical characteristics, post season honors and the fact that both wore number five. Each has developed a strong work ethic, mental toughness and a fearless style of play, and has gone on record to describe a willingness to play any position to help his team win.”

Primarily a tailback, McCaffrey lined up at every position on the offensive backfield for Stanford this season; he returned punts and kicks, and eclipsed Barry Sander’s NCAA single-season all-purpose mark with 3,864 yards. Four times this season an FBS player gained 240 all-purpose yards in first half, all by McCaffrey. The Rose Bowl was the sixth time this season McCaffrey gained more than 300 all-purpose yards; no other player had more than two. McCaffrey was named Associated Press Player-of-the Year, first team consensus All-America All-Purpose player, first team Academic All-America and Pac-12 Player of the year. He was a finalist for the Davey O’Brien, Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards, and finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

Hornung, nicknamed the Golden Boy, played every position in the backfield for Notre Dame as a sophomore, started at quarterback the next two years and as a senior lead the team in rushing, passing, scoring, tackles and interceptions and was named consensus All-America. He won the 1956 Heisman Trophy and graduated from Notre Dame in four years with a business degree. Hornung was an all-pro halfback for the multi-champion Green Bay Packers in the early 1960s who could run, catch, block and throw; he kicked field goals and extra points; and he set an NFL single-season scoring record in 1961 that stood for 42 years.

Christian McCaffrey, accompanied by his parents Ed and Lisa, will be honored at the Paul Hornung Award Banquet presented by KentuckyOne Health at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville on Feb. 25. For information about tickets to the banquet call 502-587-6742 or email Julie Howell at jhowell@louisvillesports.org