The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
Selection Process

In late summer the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award® watch list is determined based on All-America teams and Honorable Mentions published in at least six different pre-season college football magazines.  Semifinalists are announced in early November as voted on by the O’Brien Selection Committee, a nationwide panel of sportswriters and commentators, as well as former O’Brien Award winners. The committee then narrows the field to three finalists and then the winner.

In the spirit of Davey O’Brien and his great legacy the selection committee is asked to evaluate each candidate on the following criteria:

• Quarterback skills/athletic ability
• Academics
• Being a team player
• Character
• Leadership
• Sportsmanship

The winner of the 2006 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award will be announced on ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards Show scheduled for December 7 at 7 p.m. EST.  The show will air live from the Atlantic Dance Hall on The Boardwalk at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The winner will then be honored on February 19, 2007, at the 30th annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in downtown Fort Worth, Texas.

Celebrating 30 years, the O’Brien Award is the oldest and most prestigious award in the country for college quarterbacks. The Davey O’Brien Foundation was established in 1977 to present the O’Brien Memorial Trophy, recognizing an outstanding college football player in the five southwestern states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. In 1981, the award was redirected to be national in scope but limited to quarterback, the favorite position of the award’s namesake, Davey O’Brien. The winner of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award receives a bronze of the original O’Brien trophy, his name is engraved on the base of the original trophy, which is housed in the O’Brien Hall of Fame and he receives a Rolex watch. The award also carries with it a $10,000 grant to the scholarship program of the university in which the winner is enrolled. Since 1977 the Davey O’Brien Foundation has awarded $268,000 to the various winners’ universities.

Air transportation is provided by American Airlines, the official airline of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

2006 O’Brien National Selection Committee:

• Brad Banks, 2002 O’Brien winner, Grand Rapids Rampage
• Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• Todd Blackledge, 1982 O’Brien winner, ESPN
• Don Borst, Lindy’s Football Annuals;
• Terry Bowden, Westwood One Radio
• Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• Jordan Burchette, Maxim Online
• Earl Campbell, 1977 O’Brien Memorial winner, Earl Campbell Meat Products
• Richard Cirminiello, collegefootballnews.com
• Lee Corso, ESPN
• Eric Crouch, 2001 O’Brien winner, Crouch/Churchich Recreational Design
• Brian Curtis, College Sports Television
• Brian Davis, The Dallas Morning News
• Tom Dienhart, The Sporting News
• Dennis Dodd, CBS SportsLine
• Bruce Feldman, ESPN The Magazine
• Pete Fiutak, College Football News
• Doug Flutie, 1984 O’Brien winner, ABC Sports
• Pat Forde, espn.com
• Ron Franklin, ESPN
• Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune
• Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Bob Griese, ABC Sports
• Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News
• Steve Hatchell, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
• Matt Hayes, The Sporting News
• John Henderson, Denver Post
• Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN
• Keith Jackson, ABC Sports (retired)
• Dan Jenkins, author and sportswriter
• Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star
• Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News
• Chuck Long, 1985 O’Brien winner, San Diego State University
• Verne Lundquist, CBS
• Ivan Maisel, espn.com
• Stewart Mandel, si.com
• Peyton Manning, 1997 O’Brien winner, Indianapolis Colts
• Donald McPherson, 1987 O’Brien winner, Sports Leadership Institute
• Steve Richardson, Football Writers Association of America
• Lenn Robbins, New York Post
• Joe Schad, ESPN
• Jeff Shain, Miami Herald
• Billy Sims, 1978 O’Brien Memorial winner, America Can!
• Mike Singletary, 1979-80 O’Brien Memorial winner, San Francisco 49ers
• Gino Torretta, 1992 O’Brien winner, Gabelli Asset Management
• Charlie Ward, 1993 O’Brien winner, Houston Rockets
• Andre Ware, 1989 O’Brien winner, ESPN
• Chris Weinke, 2000 O’Brien winner, Carolina Panthers
• Dick Weiss, New York Daily News
• Jason White, 2003-04 O’Brien winner
• Kelly Whiteside, USA Today
• Steve Wieberg, USA Today
• Danny Wuerffel, 1995-96 O’Brien winner, Desire Street Ministries
• Steve Young, 1983 O’Brien winner, Forever Young Foundation

Davey O'Brien High School Scholarship Award

The Davey O’Brien High School Scholarship Award, established in 1986, has provided more than $440,000 in scholarships to a diverse group of students. Winners are chosen on the basis of character, community service, leadership, scholarship and varsity sports participation. The winner receives a $20,000 scholarship paid over four years and a bronze bust of Davey O'Brien. The foundation also awards $1,000 scholarships to each of the finalists.

Under the leadership of Jim McMahon, recipient of the 1981 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, the Foundation has established an endowment fund to send deserving students from the Metroplex to the college or university of their choice.

The Davey O'Brien Foundation would like to thank Cantey Hanger and Frost Bank for making the generous commitment to co-sponsor the Davey O'Brien High School Scholarship Award from 2004 through 2008.

Inspiring greatness is the legacy Davey O'Brien created. With their vision of creating a greater global community, Cantey Hanger and Frost Bank have assured that deserving area high school students have the opportunity to create their own legacy of greatness with the gift of a college education. We invite you to become a partner in this fund which supports the higher education of our most talented students.

The Davey O'Brien Legends Award

The Davey O’Brien Legends Award was established in 2001 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Davey O’Brien Foundation and to pay tribute to the legendary Davey O’Brien. This award recognizes a quarterback who has made a significant contribution to the game of football, has distinguished himself as an extraordinary leader, and has demonstrated exemplary conduct both on and off the football field…just as the man for whom the award is named.

Charles Ringler Founder’s Award

The Charles Ringler Founder’s Award was created to honor the man responsible for establishing the Davey O'Brien Foundation and the O'Brien Memorial Trophy. Because of Mr. Ringler's vision and steadfast commitment, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and subsequent O'Brien High School Scholarship Award have gained national prestige and recognition.  The award that bears his name honors an individual or corporation that has exhibited the same passion, pride and perseverance as Mr. Ringler with the presentation of the Charles Ringler Founder’s Award.