Awarded for | Most outstanding freshman player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Presented by | Stats Perform |
History | |
First award | 2011 |
Most recent | Eli Gillman, Montana |
Website | www |
The Jerry Rice Award is awarded annually in the United States to the most outstanding freshman player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. [1]
The trophy is named in honor of National Football League (NFL) hall of fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who starred at Mississippi Valley State University.
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. The honor was first given 37 years ago in 1987 to the outstanding player in the division, but in 1995, eligibility was restricted to offensive players, as the Buck Buchanan Award for defensive players was inaugurated.
Rice–Totten Stadium is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium location in Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States. It serves as the home field of the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team of Mississippi Valley State University. The stadium opened in 1958 as Magnolia Stadium and was renamed in 2000 in honor of former MVSU football players Jerry Rice and Willie Totten, who set many NCAA Division I-AA records in the 1980s. Rice went on to a 20-year career in the National Football League (NFL) and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Totten played professional football for several years after college and then went into coaching, serving as the head football coach at Mississippi Valley State from 2002 to 2009. He is one of the few college football coaches to have coached a game at a facility named after themselves
Gerald Hundley Moore is a former American college football coach and player. He served as the head football coach at North Texas State University—now the University of North Texas—from 1979 to 1980, at Texas Tech University from 1981 to 1985, and at Appalachian State University from 1989 to 2012, compiling a career college football coaching record of 242–134–2. In his 24 years at Appalachian State, Moore posted a losing season only once. He led his 2005 Mountaineers team to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship. This was the first national championship for any college football team in the state of North Carolina. Moore and the Mountaineers repeated as champions in 2006 and 2007, achieving the first "three-peat" in NCAA Division I FCS/I-AA history. Moore was forced out as head coach at the conclusion of the 2012 season. He was selected for inclusion into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame, and College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
The 2006 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team was coached by Jerry Moore and played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.
The Idaho Vandals are the college football team that represents the University of Idaho and plays its home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho. Idaho is a member of the Big Sky Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Vandals are coached by Jason Eck.
The Incarnate Word Cardinals football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) located in San Antonio, Texas. The program began in 2009 and originally competed in NCAA Division II as members of the Lone Star Conference. In 2013, the school moved to Division I. For the 2013 season, UIW competed as a member of the Southland Conference for all sports except football. Football competed with an 11-game schedule as an Independent. UIW began playing Southland football in the 2014 season. The team plays its home games at the 6,000 seat Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.
The 2007 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the South Division of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach K. C. Keeler, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 11–4 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the CAA's South Division. Delaware advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Fightin' Blue Hens beat Delaware State in the first round, Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals, and Southern Illinois in the semifinals before losing to Appalachian State in the NCAA Division I Championship Game. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.
John Robertson is a former American football quarterback.
Terrance West is an American former professional football running back. He played college football at Towson and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. West was also a member of the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, and New Orleans Saints.
Cooper Douglas Kupp is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Washington, where he won the Walter Payton Award as a junior, and was selected by the Rams in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. Kupp had a breakout season in 2021 when he became the fourth player since the AFL-NFL Merger to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Kupp received the Offensive Player of the Year Award and was the MVP of Super Bowl LVI; Jerry Rice is the only other wide receiver to accomplish those feats in a career.
The 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was played on January 7, 2017, in Frisco, Texas. The James Madison Dukes defeated the Youngstown State Penguins, 28–14, to capture their second national championship in team history.
Stephen Case Cookus, nicknamed the Chef, is an American professional football quarterback for the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League (UFL). As a true freshman at Northern Arizona University, he was named the recipient of the 2015 Jerry Rice Award and the STATS FCS Freshman Player of the Year Award, both of which are awarded to the most outstanding freshman player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. He holds the record for most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in a USFL game with five, which he accomplished in a game against the Michigan Panthers on June 5, 2022.
The 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The FCS Championship Game was played on January 6, 2018, in Frisco, Texas. The North Dakota State Bison beat the James Madison Dukes, 17–13, to capture their sixth title in seven years.
The 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The FCS Championship Game was played on January 5, 2019, in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State claimed its second consecutive FCS title, and seventh in eight years, defeating Eastern Washington, 38-24.
Trey Aubrey Lance is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Dakota State Bison, where he received the Walter Payton and Jerry Rice Awards as a freshman en route to winning the 2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game. Lance was selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 NFL draft, but limited play and injuries led to him being traded after two seasons to the Cowboys.
Cameron Anthony Ward is an American football quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes. He previously played for the Washington State Cougars, and prior to that the Incarnate Word Cardinals, winning the 2020 Jerry Rice Award.
The 2022 Missouri Valley Football Conference football season was the 37th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's 3rd straight season with 11 teams, and was the last as the conference added a 12th team for the 2023 season.
Gevani McCoy is an American college football quarterback for the Oregon State Beavers. He previously played for the Idaho Vandals, winning the 2022 Jerry Rice Award.
Tony Muskett is an American football quarterback for the Virginia Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He previously played for the Monmouth Hawks.
The 2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference season was the 35th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's first season with 11 teams, as they added North Dakota in the offseason. Although, the conference technically only had 10 of their members play the season, since Indiana State opted out of the Spring season.