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Cutler Named Semifinalist For Davey O’Brien Award 11/9/2005
Fort Worth, Texas — Vanderbilt senior quarterback Jay Cutler has been named as a semifinalist for the prestigious Davey O’Brien National Quarterback AwardTM, the Davey O’Brien Foundation announced Tuesday. Cutler, the record-setting signal caller who has started more games than any other quarterback in Vanderbilt history, is one of 15 semifinalists for the award. The O’Brien Selection Committee, composed of national sportswriters and commentators, as well as former O’Brien Award winners, will vote later this month to narrow the field to three finalists, which will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 22 by the National College Football Awards Association. Cutler, currently enjoying the finest year of his collegiate career, owns virtually every significant all-time passing record at Vanderbilt. Among his team career marks are 51 touchdown passes, 7,987 passing yards, 644 pass completions, 68 combined touchdowns and 9,214 yards of total offense. Last week, Cutler was one of 16 finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award given annually to the nation’s top senior quarterback. The Davey O’Brien Award is the nation’s outstanding college quarterback. Besides Cutler, the list of semifinalists includes one other quarterback from the Southeastern Conference, Brodie Croyle of Alabama, 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and Texas Longhorns standout Vince Young. Cutler, expected to start his 44th game this Saturday as Vanderbilt celecbrates Senior Day against Kentucky, is coming off one of the finest games of his career. While leading the Commodores from a pair of 14-point, fourth quarter deficits into overtime at Florida, Cutler matched career highs with four touchdown passes and 28 completions while throwing for a career-high 360 yards. One week earlier, he threw for 339 yards guiding Vanderbilt from another two-touchdown deficit in a 35-28 loss at South Carolina. Entering the Kentucky game, Cutler has established new single-season highs in passing yardage (2,363), completions (207) and attempts (357) through nine games this season. He leads the SEC in all three categories. The winner of the 2005 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback AwardTM will be announced on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show at 7:00 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005. The show will air live on ESPN from the Atlantic Dance Hall on The Boardwalk at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The winner also will be honored Feb. 20, 2006, at the 29th annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in downtown Fort Worth. Len Dawson, recipient of the 2005 Davey O’Brien Legends Award, and the O’Brien High School Scholarship Award winner also will be honored that night. Air transportation is provided by American Airlines, the official airline of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback AwardTM. 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. 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. 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. For more information visit www.daveyobrien.com. |
