27 Finalists Announced for The Home Depot College Football Awards
Of the 12 Award Finalists Revealed 21 Programs Represented; Klein, Manziel and Te’o Lead in Nominations
The Home Depot College Football Awards, now in its 22nd year, will once again air on ESPN, Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m., highlighting the achievements of college football student-athletes in 2012. Twenty-four players were selected as finalists today for the nine National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) awards given annually during the show. ESPNU will feature the below nominees during The Home Depot College Football Awards: Nomination Special on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. ET.
The 30-minute show, hosted by Matt Schick, will include player interviews and analysis from college football analyst Kevin Carter on the finalists, which represent 21 teams. Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M each have two players nominated and Collin Klein (Kansas State), Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) and Manti Te’o (Notre Dame) are each finalists for two awards.
THE HOME DEPOT COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS FINALISTS – (listed alphabetically)
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Chuck Bednarik Award College Defensive Player of the Year
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Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) Jarvis Jones (Georgia) Manti Te’o (Notre Dame) |
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Biletnikoff Award Nation’s Outstanding Receiver
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Stedman Bailey (West Virginia)
Marqise Lee (USC) Terrance Williams (Baylor) |
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Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Nation’s Outstanding Placekicker
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Dustin Hopkins (FSU) Cairo Santos (Tulane) Caleb Sturgis (Florida) |
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Ray Guy Award Nation’s Outstanding Punter |
Ryan Allen (La Tech)*
Kyle Christy (Florida) Scott Kovanda (Ball State) |
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Maxwell Award College Player of the Year
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Collin Klein (Kansas State)
Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) |
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Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Nation’s Best Quarterback
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Collin Klein (Kansas State)
Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) Braxton Miller (Ohio State) |
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Outland Trophy Nation’s Outstanding Interior Lineman |
Jonathan Cooper (UNC)
Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M) Barrett Jones (Alabama)* |
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Jim Thorpe Award Nation’s Outstanding Defensive Back |
Johnthan Banks (Mississippi State) Dee Milliner (Alabama) Phillip Thomas (Fresno State) |
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Doak Walker Award Nation’s Outstanding Running Back |
Montee Ball (Wisconsin)
Kenjon Barner (Oregon) Johnathan Franklin (UCLA) |
*2011 award winner
Additionally, the John Mackey Award (Outstanding Tight End) and the Rimington Award (Outstanding Center) will be presented during The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show. Tyler Eifert (Notre Dame), Zach Ertz (Stanford) and Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Washington) are finalists for the John Mackey Award. The Rimington finalists will be announced on Saturday, Dec. 1.
The Disney Sports Spirit Award and the Home Depot College Football Coach of the Year Award will also be featured in the December show. Disney Sports announced earlier today that Texas long snapper Nate Boyer, who earned a Bronze Star for his service with the U.S. Army Special Forces Unit, will be the recipient of the Disney Spirit award this year.
2012 The Home Depot College Football Awards Highlights
- The 22nd annual awards show – hosted by ESPN’s Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Tom Rinaldi and Samantha Steele – will originate from the Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
- CFB Daily, ESPNU’s daily college football show hosted by Dari Nowkhah, will be produced outside of the Charlotte studio for the first time when it airs live from the Boardwalk on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 1-4 p.m.
- A special one-hour ESPNU Palmer & Pollack will air at 5:30 p.m. featuring former Florida quarterback Jesse Palmer and former Georgia defensive end David Pollack as they discuss candidates from both sides of the line of scrimmage.
- The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show – hosted by Steele, Rinaldi and Nowkhah – will air at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The red carpet hosts will return after the show at 9:30 p.m. for The Home Depot College Football Awards Recap Show.
- The Home Depot College Football Awards will also feature the live presentation of the NCFAA (National College Football Awards Association) Contribution to College Football Award; The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award; The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team; the Disney Spirit Award; and student-athletes selected to the Walter Camp All-America Team. It will air on ESPN Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
- Viewers can also follow and engage on Twitter using #CFBAwards for news, opinion and behind-the-scenes extras during and leading up to this year’s award show.
MEDIA NOTE: Media interested in attending The Home Depot College Football Awards can apply for credentials by emailing Liz McCollum at elizabethm@bzapr.com.
National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA)
The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official Web site, www.NCFAA.org.
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