Whitehurst Named to O’Brien Watch List

Aug. 18, 2005

The Davey O’Brien Foundation today announced the pre-season watch list for the 2005 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award , presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback. The O’Brien Award is the oldest and most prestigious award in the country for college quarterbacks and is named in honor of the late Davey O’Brien. O’Brien led the TCU Horned Frogs to the 1938 national championship and was the first player to win the Heisman, Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards in one season.

Semifinalists will be announced in early November as voted on by the O’Brien Selection Committee, a nationwide panel of sportswriters and commentators, as well as former O’Brien Award winners. The committee will then narrow the field to three finalists and then the winner. The winner of the 2005 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award will be announced on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show at 7 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005 and will be honored Feb. 20, 2006, at the 29th annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in downtown Fort Worth. Air transportation is provided by American Airlines, the official airline of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

The Davey O’Brien Foundation was established in 1977 to present the O’Brien Memorial Trophy, recognizing annually the outstanding college football player in the five southwestern states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. In 1981, the award was redirected to be national in scope but limited to quarterback, the favorite position of the award’s namesake, Davey O’Brien. The award carries with it a $10,000 grant to the scholarship program of the university in which the winner is enrolled. A high school scholarship program began in 1986, awarding annually a $20,000 college scholarship to an outstanding senior student-athlete in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Since 1977 the Davey O’Brien Foundation has awarded over $248,000 to the various O’Brien winners’ universities and more than $380,000 to deserving high school students.

The thirty three candidates, in alphabetical order, are: Erik Ainge, Tennessee John Beck, BYU Corey Bramlet, Wyoming Brian Brohm, Louisville Shaun Carney, Air Force Kellen Clemens, Oregon Brodie Croyle, Alabama Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo Tye Gunn, TCU Darrell Hackney, UAB Marques Hagans, Virginia Chad Henne, Michigan Justin Holland, Colorado State Omar Jacobs, Bowling Green Steven Jyles, Louisiana-Monroe Kevin Kold, Houston Chris Leak, Florida Matt Leinart, USC Clint Marks, Middle Tenn. St. Reggie McNeal, Texas A&M Tyler Palko, Pittsburgh Jordan Palmer, UTEP Paul Pinegar, Fresno State Quinton Porter, Boston College Jeff Rowe, Nevada Brad Smith, Missouri Drew Stanton, Michigan State Drew Tate, Iowa Marcus Vick, Virginia TechCharlie Whitehurst, Clemson Vince Young, Texas Jared Zabransky, Boise State