News

Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma Wins the 2016 Biletnikoff Award, Which Recognizes the
College Football Season’s Outstanding Receiver Regardless of Position
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Tallahassee, FL. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida based creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, tonight announces that the University of Oklahoma’s Dede Westbrook is the 2016 winner of the Biletnikoff Award. The secure and confidential electronic voting by the 530 distinguished members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee was conducted from December 1st through December 4th. The voting and results were verified and certified by a prominent CPA firm. The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football. Any player, regardless of position (tight end, slot receiver and back, inside receiver, wide receiver, split end, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes the outstanding receiver, not merely the outstanding wide receiver. Receiver for many years has been the deepest position in college football in terms of the number of talented players. The Biletnikoff Award is a season, not career, award.

Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee
The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient annually are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, and former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. Members of the national selection committee are allowed to write in non watch list receivers on the semifinalists and finalists ballots. See:

National Selection Committee

Candidate Eligibility and Voting Criteria
The transparently detailed and explicit criteria for candidate eligibility and voting appear at:

Candidate Eligibility, Watch List Inclusion & Voting Criteria

The Home Depot College Football Awards Show
Dede Westbrook as the 2016 Biletnikoff Award winner was announced live by 1991 Heisman Trophy winner, Biletnikoff Award voter, and former receiver Desmond Howard earlier tonight, December 8, 2016, on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards Show. Desmond Howard is one of only 5 ends or receivers who has won the Heisman Trophy, joining Larry Kelley, Leon Hart, Johnny Rodgers, and Tim Brown.

The correlation between Biletnikoff Award winners and stardom in the National Football League is uncannily predictable. Past Biletnikoff Award winners include Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Larry Fitzgerald.

Biletnikoff Award Banquet
Dede Westbrook will be presented the Biletnikoff Award trophy before 550 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet, a black tie event, at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, February 18, 2017. 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 keynote speakers of profound character and accomplishments including Bart Starr, Dick Vermeil, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Ron Jaworski, Gene Stallings, Bill Curry, Jim Kelly, Jerry Kramer, Joe Theismann, and Dan Fouts.

Also recognized at the banquet are the Foundation’s scholarship recipients who will be offered by the Foundation over $800,000 in college and vocational scholarships and related benefits in 2017 alone, as in 2015 and 2016. The Foundation’s charitable mission is the provision of college and vocational scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extracurricular levels. The scholarships are merit, not need, based.

Fred Biletnikoff
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was an 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 14year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation (TQC), Inc., created the Biletnikoff Award in 1994.