Tallahassee, FL – The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., the creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, announces the 10 Semifinalists for the 2013 Biletnikoff Award. The electronic voting by the 214 distinguished members of the National Selection Committee was conducted from November 13th through November 17th.
Foundation Chairman Ritchie Pickron commented: “The universe of players who could win the Biletnikoff Award is vast. College football is replete with many hundreds of fine receivers at numerous positions, including wide receiver, tight end, running back, and slotback. The depth and quality of the 2013 crop of excellent receivers is the deepest in memory. We congratulate all of our watch list receivers for their play and we commend the ten finalists for outstanding seasons. Our eminent 214 person National Selection Committee certainly has had a very difficult duty in selecting the ten semifinalist; we thank them for their devotion to this task.”
Semifinalists for the 2013 Biletnikoff Award are: (listed in alphabetical order)
Davante Adams, Fresno State, SO
Jace Amaro, Texas Tech, JR
Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU, JR
Brandin Cooks, Oregon State, JR
Mike Evans, Texas A&M, SO
Antwan Goodley, Baylor, JR
Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt, SR
Allen Robinson, Penn State, JR
Willie Snead, Ball State, JR
Sammy Watkins, Clemson, JR
Fans may now help determine which three receivers will advance as finalists by voting as often as once daily at the Biletnikoff Award Fan Vote website. Fan voting will close on November 24th.
The top 3 aggregate fan votes for receiver will each count as the equivalent of one national selection committee vote for each of those three receivers for finalists. Following the finalists’ selection, the subsequent top single aggregate fan vote for receiver will count as the equivalent of one national selection committee vote for winner.
The three Finalists will be announced on Monday, November 25th. The Biletnikoff Award winner will be announced live on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 12, 2013.
The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football. The award recipient is selected by the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of over 215 prominent college football journalists, commentators, and former receivers. The fan vote counts as one additional vote. Receivers may be added to the watch list as their season performances dictate.
The Foundation’s charitable mission is to provide college scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extra-curricular levels. The Foundation awarded $750,000 in scholarships in 2013 alone and expects to increase that amount in 2014.
The 2013 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 12, 2013, on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be broadcast from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on ESPN.
The 2013 Biletnikoff Award winner will receive the Biletnikoff Award Trophy, the most beautiful in college sports, and the custom designed Biletnikoff Award winner’s ring before 600 patrons at the annual Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, February 8, 2014, and will be live streamed on ESPN3, as it was in 2013.
The banquet was hailed by 2013 keynote speaker Larry Csonka as “the best banquet in college sports.”
Coaching great Dick Vermeil will deliver the 2014 banquet’s keynote address (following a tradition of distinguished keynoters including Bart Starr, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Jerry Kramer, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Ron Jaworski, and Dan Fouts) and recognize the Foundation’s scholarship recipients.
For more information visit our website at www.biletnikoffaward.com.
The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the nation’s outstanding college football receiver (the award defines receiver as any player who catches a pass) by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQC). The TQC Foundation, Inc. is an independent, charitable organization that was founded in 1994. Past Chairman and 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 idea of a college receiver’s award was not a novel one, as a number of organizations throughout America considered establishing it; however, the TQC Foundation, Inc. joined the idea to the organization’s vision and created an outstanding award and dynamic organization. The trophy, presented to each winner, is the most beautiful in college football – it has won several national awards for design excellence and aesthetic appeal.
The Biletnikoff Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
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