Release
FORT WORTH, Texas (Oct. 14, 2019) – Half of the eight quarterbacks named to the Davey O’Brien’s Foundation “Great 8” for week seven of the college football season are first-time honorees, according to the list revealed Monday.
The eight honorees, as determined by voting from the award’s selection subcommittee, are: Jack Abraham of Southern Miss, LSU’s Joe Burrow, Evan Conley of Louisville, Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma, Colorado State’s Patrick O’Brien, Jack Plummer of Purdue and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. The winner of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week Award will be announced Tuesday.
In 1938, O’Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
O’Brien was drafted fourth overall in the 1939 NFL Draft and earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season after setting a National Football League record for season passing yardage. The NFL’s highest-paid player retired after the 1940 season to become an FBI agent.
The Davey O’Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981. The Davey O’Brien Fan Vote, now in its 13th year, gives fans a chance to play a role in determining the award winner by voting daily at VoteOBrien.org. Fan voting is currently open.
Since 1977, the Davey O’Brien Foundation has given away more than $1 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit DaveyOBrien.org.
Week 7 “Great 8” Performances:
Jack Abraham, Southern Miss, Jr., 6-0, 204, Oxford, Miss.
· Threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns (29 of 36 passing) and added a rushing score in a 45-27 victory over North Texas.
Joe Burrow, LSU, Sr., 6-4, 216, Athens, Ohio
· Led the Tigers to a 42-28 victory over No. 7 Florida by throwing as many touchdown passes (3) as incompletions (21 of 24) and amassing 336 total yards (293 passing, 43 rushing).
Evan Conley, Louisville, Fr., 6-2, 207, Marietta, Ga.
· Helped knock No. 19 Wake Forest from the unbeaten ranks with 196 passing yards, 79 rushing yards and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 62-59 win.
Jayden Daniels, Arizona State, Fr., 6-3, 175, San Bernardino, Calif.
· Was 26 of 36 passing for a career-high 363 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for the game-winning score with 34 seconds left, in a 38-34 triumph over Washington State.
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-2, 218, Houston, Texas
· Accounted for 366 total yards (235 passing, 131 rushing) and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in Oklahoma’s 34-27 Red River Rivalry win over No. 11 Texas.
Patrick O’Brien, Colorado State, Jr. 6-5, 244, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
· Threw for a career-high 420 yards and three touchdowns, connecting on 25 of 34 pass attempts, in a 35-21 victory at New Mexico.
Jack Plummer, Purdue, Fr., 6-5, 220, Gilbert, Ariz.
· Completed 33 of 41 pass attempts for a career-best 420 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-14 victory over Maryland.
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, Jr., 6-1, 281, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
· Fired four touchdown passes and was 21 of 34 overall for 293 yards, as Alabama picked up a 47-28 road win at No. 24 Texas A&M.