Country United States | ||
Awarded for the collegiate American football player judged to be the best of all NCAA quarterbacks (current)
the best NCAA football player playing in the southwestern United States (original) Location The Fort Worth Club, Fort Worth Texas Presented by Davey O'Brien Foundation First awarded 1977, became a quarterback-only award in 1981 Currently held by Deshaun Watson, Clemson | ||
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The Davey O'Brien Hall of Fame is housed at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The annual awards dinner and trophy presentation is held there as well usually in February.
In 1977, directly after the death of O'Brien, the award was established as the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy, and was given to the most outstanding player in the Southwest. Texas running back Earl Campbell won the trophy in 1977, Oklahoma running back Billy Sims won it in 1978, and Baylor linebacker Mike Singletary won it twice in 1979 and 1980. In 1981, the award was renamed the Davey O'Brien Award.
Since the renaming of the award in 1981, four players have won the award twice: Ty Detmer of BYU, Danny Wuerffel of Florida, Jason White of Oklahoma, and Deshaun Watson of Clemson.
The Executive Director of the Davey O'Brien Award is Bill Brady.