Paul Hornung Award has been granted associate membership in the National College Football Awards Association
The Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse has been granted associate membership in the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The announcement was made today by NCFAA President Mark Wolpert and Louisville Sports Commission President and CEO Karl Schmitt, Jr. The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) founded the Award in 2010, which is presented annually to the most versatile player in major college football
The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of major US collegiate football awards. The NCFAA’s stated mission is to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of college football’s various awards. The NCFAA also encourages professionalism and the highest standards possible for the administration of college football awards and the selection of their winners.
“The NCFAA is pleased to announce that the Paul Hornung Award is now a member of our organization,” said Wolpert. “When our board reviewed the Award for admission, we were excited to see how successful it has been in recognizing versatile players who achieve at a high level. The accomplishments of all the previous winners on and off the field are commendable.”
The LSC created the PHA to recognize the distinctive talents of student-athletes and help preserve the legacy of Paul Hornung – a man many consider the most versatile player in the history of college and professional football. Each year, the winner and his family are honored in late-February at a banquet presented by KentuckyOne Health at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville, Ky
“Our Award recognizes players who line up at numerous positions on the field and do everything their coaches ask to help their teams win games, same as I did,” said Hornung. “The hard work and dedication of the LSC has enabled the PHA to come a long way in a short period of time.”
“Membership in the prestigious NCFAA adds to the stature of the Paul Hornung Award that started with Paul’s exceptional performance as a player and has been affirmed by our six outstanding recipients,” Schmitt says. “Also it’s a tribute to the members of the PHA selection committee who annually devote their time and expertise to review and analyze a long list of deserving candidates.”
Christian McCaffrey of Stanford, won in 2015 after amassing 3,496 all-purpose yards with 1,847 rushing, 540 receiving and 1,109 return, breaking Barry Sanders record of 3,250 set in 1988. Owen Marecic of Stanford, a two-way starter and All-Pac-10 performer at fullback and linebacker, won the inaugural Paul Hornung Award in 2010; Brandon Boykin of Georgia won the award in 2011 after excelling on defense, offense and special teams; Tavon Austin of West Virginia won the award in 2012 as one of two players in the nation with more than 500 yards in three different categories (rushing, receiving and kick returns); Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU won the award in 2013 after finishing the season ranked second in the nation and first in the Southeastern Conference with 2,222 all-purpose yards and 185.2 average yards per game; and Shaq Thompson won in 2014 earning first team All-America at linebacker, finishing the season as the Huskies’ second leading rusher with 456 yards and scoring four touchdowns on defense and two on offense.