The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Current and future Longhorns honored with national awards
02.07.2009 | Football
Feb. 7, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Texas QB Colt McCoy and recent Longhorn signee Garrett Gilbert of Lake Travis High School traveled to Columbus, Ohio, and were honored by the Touchdown Club of Columbus on Saturday. McCoy received the Archie Griffin National Player of the Year Award and Gilbert was recognized as the Sam B. Nicola National High School Player of the Year. It marks the second time in the club's history that a Longhorn player has claimed the Griffin Award with Vince Young taking home the trophy in 2005.
The Archie Griffin Award, named for the Ohio State football legend and the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, is the only college football player of the year award presented following all bowl games and at the conclusion of the college football season. The award signifies college football's Most Valuable Player for the entire season.
"It's truly an honor for me to be accepting this award on behalf of our team," McCoy said. "I had a chance to spend some time with Archie Griffin at the Heisman Trophy ceremony and everyone knows what a great football player he was, but he's also a really great guy. For him to be the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy and to have accomplished everything he has, he was so humble and gracious. It was truly a privilege to meet him and is an unbelievable honor to receive an award named for him. He set the bar high for college athletes."
McCoy is the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Chevrolet NCAA Offensive Player of the Year, runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, and a Maxwell Award (college player of the year), O'Brien Award (nation's top quarterback) and Manning Award (nation's top quarterback) finalist. He earned consensus first-team All-America honors, joining Bobby Layne (1947) and Vince Young (2005) as the only quarterbacks in UT history to accomplish that feat.
He guided the Longhorns to a 24-21 win over No. 10 Ohio State in the 2009 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in which his 41 completions and 58 attempts were BCS and Texas records. His 414 passing yards ranked second in BCS history and are the third-most in UT history. McCoy has now started, won and been named Offensive MVP in all three bowls in which he has played.
In 2008, McCoy went 332-of-433 (76.7%) for 3,859 yards and 34 TDs with eight INTs, for a passer rating of 173.8, which ranked third nationally. His 76.7 completion percentage set the NCAA single-season record, surpassing Daunte Culpepper's record of 73.6% set in 1998. He also set a UT single-season passing record against Texas A&M, bettering Major Applewhite's 3,357 yards in 1999. McCoy has thrown a TD pass in 17 consecutive games, which ranks second on UT's all-time list behind Applewhite's 19.
In addition, McCoy led the team in rushing with 561 yards and 11 TDs on 136 carries (4.1 ypc). Overall, McCoy posted a UT-record 4,420 yards of total offense, passing Vince Young (4,086 yards, 2005) in the Fiesta Bowl, and averaged 7.8 yards per play and 340.0 total yards per game, which ranked fifth nationally. With 12 wins in 2008, McCoy has a career record of 32-7, which is first on UT's all-time victories list, passing Vince Young (30-2, 2003-05). During his 39-game career, McCoy has completed 825-of-1,175 passes (70.2%/No. 1 on UT's all-time list) for 9,732 yards and 85 TDs against 33 INTs for a passer rating of 158.0 (No. 1 on UT's all-time list). His 9,732 yards, 85 career TD passes, 825 completions and 1,175 attempts are all the most in UT history. McCoy also ranks first on UT's TD responsible for list with 102, having passed Vince Young (81) earlier this season.
During his career, McCoy has rushed for 1,223 yards and 17 TDs on 318 carries (3.8 ypc) and has rushed and passed for a TD in the same game 12 times. Overall, McCoy is UT's all-time leader in total offense, having produced 10,955 yards to better Vince Young's 9,167 total yards.
This marks the second time McCoy has been honored at the Annual Touchdown Club of Columbus Sports banquet, now in its 54th year. He was named the National Freshman of the Year following his spectacular first season at Texas in 2006, a year that saw him set the UT single-season freshman record and tie the NCAA freshman mark for touchdown passes with 29. He also threw for a freshman record 2,570 yards and registered a Longhorn freshman-best 2,740 yards of total offense that year.
The Annual Touchdown Club of Columbus banquet honors high school, collegiate and NFL players from around the country. Joining McCoy in being honored at this year's event is Gilbert, who will receive the Sam B. Nicola High School Player of the Year Award.
Gilbert was tabbed the Gatorade and Parade National Player of the Year, Mr. Football USA by EA Sports and USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year. A three-year starter at Austin's Lake Travis High School, he finished his high school career as Texas' all-time leader in passing yards (12,540) and ranks second in state history in passing TDs (138), completions (895) and attempts (1,368). He also holds state single-season records in completions (360), attempts (556) and passing yards (4,851) and ranks third on the single-season TD passes list (55).
A two-time first-team All-State pick, Gilbert led his team to a 39-4 record (20-0 in district play) and back-to-back 4A Div. I state titles the past two years. He ended his high school career on a 30-game winning streak. He completed 301-of-435 passes (69.2%) for 4,851 yards, 55 TDs and only six INTs while rushing for 774 yards and 23 TDs as a senior. He connected on 360-of-556 (64.7%) pass attempts for 4,827 yards and 52 TDs (12 INTs) as a junior. The 4,827 yards rank second on the state of Texas' single-season list. He also ran for 400 yards and six TDs that year.
Other past Longhorn Touchdown Club of Columbus award recipients include Ricky Williams, who claimed the Jim Brown Award (nation's top running back) in 1997 and 1998, and Derrick Johnson, winner of the Jack Lambert Award (nation's top linebacker) in 2004. Williams (1998) and Earl Campbell (1977) claimed the Chick Harley Award (national player of the year).