|
For Immediate Release: November 19, 2018
|
|
|
2017 Biletnikoff Award winner James Washington with Fred Biletnikoff and keynote speaker Floyd Little at the 2018 Biletnikoff Award Banquet.
|
Tallahassee, FL - The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, announces the three finalists for the 2018 Biletnikoff Award. The secure and confidential electronic voting to select the three finalists by the distinguished members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee was conducted from November 13th through November 18th, and certified by a prominent CPA firm.
The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding FBS receiver in college football. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes college football's outstanding receiver, not merely college football's outstanding wide receiver.
The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are
selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. For a list of voters, please see BiletnikoffAward.com/voters
The transparently detailed and explicit criteria for candidate eligibility, watch list inclusion, and voting appear at: BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria
The three 2018 Biletnikoff Award finalists are as follows (in alphabetical order):
|
Player
|
School
|
Andy Isabella
|
Massachusetts
|
Jerry Jeudy
|
Alabama
|
Tylan Wallace
|
Oklahoma State
|
The 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 6, 2018, on The Home Depot College Football Awards presented by Gildan to be broadcast 7:00 - 9:00pm (EST) on ESPN. College and pro football hall of famer Fred Biletnikoff will announce the 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner on the show.
The correlation between Biletnikoff Award winners and stardom in the National Football League is nearly uniformly consistent. Past Biletnikoff Award winners include Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Larry Fitzgerald.
The 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented the Biletnikoff Award trophy by college and pro football hall of famer Fred Biletnikoff and keynoter & 1993 Lombardi Award and Jim Parker Award winner Aaron Taylor before 550 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, February 16, 2019. The banquet was hailed by 2014 keynote speaker Dick Vermeil, as well as by 2013 keynoter Larry Csonka, as "the best banquet in college sports."
The banquet has featured distinguished keynoters of profound character and accomplishments including Bart Starr, Dick Vermeil, Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Ron Jaworski, Gene Stallings, Bob Griese, Bill Curry, Bobby Bowden, Jim Kelly, Jerry Kramer, Joe Theismann, and Dan Fouts.
|
|
| 2018 Biletnikoff Award Scholarship Recipients |
The banquet also recognizes the Foundation's scholarship recipients. The Foundation's charitable mission is the provision of college and vocational scholarships and related assistance to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extracurricular levels.
In 2018, fifteen high school seniors received scholarships.
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was a consensus All-America receiver at Florida State University, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI.
FanVote and FanForum
Recently, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation opened the 2018 FanVote and FanForum. Every fan may vote once daily on the Biletnikoff Award FanVote page. The aggregate fan tally will be counted as one official vote to determine the winner. In the closest contest in years, the FanVote tally provided the one-vote margin of victory for 2013 winner Brandin Cooks of Oregon State. The Biletnikoff Award FanForum consists of fan-created discussion topics that allow sports fans to voice their opinions.
To access the Biletnikoff Award FanVote, go to BiletnikoffAward.com/fan-vote
To access the Biletnikoff Award FanForum Discussion Board, go to BiletnikoffAward.com/forum
|
|
|
The Biletnikoff Award
The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the season's
outstanding college football receiver regardless of position (the award defines receiver as any player who catches a pass; hence, tight ends, slot receivers and backs, inside receivers, wide receivers, split ends, and running backs are eligible)
The TQC Foundation, Inc., is an independent, charitable organization that was founded in 1994. Past and Current Chairman & Founding Trustee Professor Walter W. Manley II, Founding Trustee L. Thomas Cox, Jr., Founding Trustee Rocky Bevis, and Founding Trustee Bob Teel established the award and the TQC Foundation, Inc., that sponsors it. Many more trustees have contributed to its development as one of the most prominent awards in college football. The TQC Foundation, Inc., joined the idea of a college receiver's award to the organization's vision and created the outstanding award and dynamic organization.
The trophy, presented to each winner, is the most beautiful in college football - it has won several national, juried competitions for design excellence and aesthetic appeal.
Likewise, the website and printed banquet program have been cited nationally for excellence in design.
|
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, is the creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award. The Foundation administers the Biletnikoff Award, its charitable activities, and the distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Foundation Trustees are prohibited from serving on the National Selection Committee. For a full recounting of the Foundation's activities, please consult BiletnikoffAward.com.
|
National College Football Awards Association
The Biletnikoff Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which includes college football's most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 23 awards boast 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit
NCFAA.org to learn more about the NCFAA.
|
|
|
Important Dates
July 19, 2018:
Pre-Season Watch List announcement
September 25, 2018:
FanVote opens
November 5-11, 2018:
Vote by the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee to determine 11 Semifinalists
November 12, 2018:
11 Semifinalists announcement
November 13-18, 2018:
Vote to determine 3 Finalists
November 19, 2018:
3 Finalists announcement
November 27 - December 3, 2018:
Final vote to determine Biletnikoff Award Winner
December 6, 2018:
Biletnikoff Award Winner announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards presented by Gildan
The Home Depot College Football Awards airs live on ESPN December 6, 2018, 7 - 9pm (EST)
The Biletnikoff Award Banquet
honors the 2018 Biletnikoff Award Winner on Saturday, February 16, 2019
University Center Club at
Doak Cambell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
|
Inquiries:
Professor Walter W. Manley II
Founding Trustee & Chairman of the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc.
Selection Chairman:
Professor Walter W. Manley II
Selection Deputy Chairman:
Ritchie Pickron
Cell 850-363-0174
rpickron123@yahoo.com
Website and Publicity Contact:
Will Stewart
biletnikoffaward@biletnikoffaward.com
Website
Fan Vote
|
|
