Held in February or March, the five finalists from each category are invited to attend the annual Awards Banquet in Harrisburg, PA, where the winner is announced for the Mr. PA Football Award, the Lineman's Award, The Michael Payton Quarterback Award, and the Mickey Minnich Legendary Coach Award.
A Division 1 Football Head Coach typically serves as the Keynote Speaker.
2020 and 2021 Awards Program
Because of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in Pennsylvania, the 2020 and 2021 Awards Programs were held online. With segments recorded over several days, the winners were announced in a Live broadcast, and the entire program was posted online. It was also shown several times on Pennsylvania Cable Network.
2023 saw the return of the in person program.
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.
The Kiski School is an independent, college-preparatory boarding school in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The school, named after the nearby Kiskiminetas River, is located about 30 miles (48 km) east by north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Westminster College is a private, liberal arts college in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1852, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The student population is approximately 1,307 undergraduate and graduate students.
Pasadena High School (PHS) is a public high school in Pasadena, California. It is one of four high schools in the Pasadena Unified School District.
La Salle College High School is a Catholic, all-male college preparatory school located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. La Salle is within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and is located roughly 10 miles northwest of Center City. The school is staffed by a lay faculty and the Christian Brothers. Its sports teams compete in the Philadelphia Catholic League and the PIAA’s twelfth district.
Patrick Sean Payton is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory during the 2009 season. Payton played college football for the Eastern Illinois Panthers and played professionally in 1987 with the Chicago Bears and 1988 overseas in Britain for the Leicester Panthers.
Walter Jerry Payton was an American professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears. Nicknamed "Sweetness", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time.
The Maxwell Football Club was established in 1935 to promote safety in the game of American football. Named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell, legendary college player, official, and sports columnist, the club was founded by his friend Bert Bell, then owner of the Philadelphia Eagles professional football team and later commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) along with Edwin Pollock. The awards are presented during the spring of the following year.
Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School is a secondary school located on 500 South Broad Street in the borough of Mechanicsburg, west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Mechanicsburg Area School District.
The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) They play their home games on Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville campus.
The San Diego State Aztecs football team is the football program that represents San Diego State University. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Snapdragon Stadium.
Each year the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school senior boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Michigan. The award is named in honor of the late Hal Schram, a sports writer at the Detroit Free Press who covered high school sports for 40 years before retiring in 1983.
The NFL Alumni Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is composed of former National Football League (NFL) players, coaches, team staff members and associate members who work voluntarily to raise funds for youth-oriented causes and engage in hands-on service to foster the development of "youth through sports and sports through youth". It was founded in 1967.
The Villanova Wildcats football program represents Villanova University in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys baseball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls cross country, boys football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls track & field, girls softball, and girls volleyball.
The Latrobe Athletic Association was a professional football team located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, from 1895 until 1909. A member of the unofficial Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit, the team is best known for being the first football club to play a full season while composed entirely of professional players. In 1895, team's quarterback, John Brallier, also became the first football player to openly turn professional, by accepting $10 and expenses to play for Latrobe against the Jeannette Athletic Club.
The Weber State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Weber State University, located in Ogden, Utah. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a charter member of the Big Sky Conference, founded in 1963. The school's first football team was fielded a year earlier in 1962. Home games are played at the 17,312-seat Stewart Stadium. The Wildcats are led by coach Mickey Mental following the 2022 departure of Jay Hill, the winningest coach in program history.
Michael Payton was an American football quarterback. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, where he won the 1992 Walter Payton Award. After college, he played one season in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Florida Bobcats.
Eric Barriere is an American football quarterback who plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He played college football for Eastern Washington University. Barriere won the Walter Payton Award for the 2021 FCS season, an award given to the top offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
