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Jay Cutler Named to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List 7/20/2004
Jay Cutler Named to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List 7-20-04 DALLAS, Texas – Vanderbilt junior Jay Cutler has been named to the preseason watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award, presented annually to the nation’s top college quarterback, the O’Brien Foundation announced last week. 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, the All-American and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for TCU who led the Horned Frogs to the 1938 national championship. “I think Jay deserves to be on the O’Brien list because he has improved a great deal during the last two years and has all the tools to be a great quarterback. He has also stepped forward to provide our team outstanding leadership. We expect Jay to have a great year,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson said. Cutler becomes the third Commodore to be included in various preseason watch lists for national awards. In recent weeks, senior offensive tackle Justin Geisinger has been added to the Outland Trophy watch list while junior defensive end Jovan Haye has earned Hendricks Award and Nagurski Award preseason attention. Several other Commodores, including junior wide receiver Erik Davis, junior cornerback Dominique Morris, junior safety Kelechi Ohanaja, junior linebacker Moses Osemwegie and junior fullback Matthew Tant, also received All-SEC consideration in preseason publications. Cutler, a two-year starter and captain, is coming off one of the best seasons ever by a Commodore quarterback, setting sophomore marks with 18 touchdown passes, 2,347 passing yards and 187 completions. Cutler’s total offense output of 2,646 yards in 2003 is fourth-best in Vanderbilt history. Cutler, a native of Santa Claus, Ind., is one of 42 candidates named to the O’Brien Watch List and is one of five SEC quarterbacks recognized. The watch list includes 24 seniors, 13 juniors and five sophomores. Semifinalists will be announced in early November and narrowed to three finalists later in that month by the O’Brien National Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of nationally known sportswriters, commentators and other members of the media. The 2004 O’Brien winner will be announced Dec. 9 on the ESPN College Football Awards Show from Orlando, Fla. The winner also will be honored at the 28th Annual O’Brien Awards Dinner in February 2005, at The Fort Worth Club. The 2003 award was won by Jason White of Oklahoma. |
