The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well. [1] [2] Award recipients include College Football Hall of Fame inductees, O. J. Simpson, Mike Garrett, Jim Plunkett, Joe Kapp, Craig Morton, Billy Kilmer, and Anthony Davis.
The trophy was named after German American entrepreneur William J. Voit (1881–1946), [3] the founder of the W.J. Voit Rubber Company. In the 1950s and 1960s, a representative of the Voit organization presented the trophy at a banquet preceding the Rose Bowl game. [1] [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] In 1969, a Los Angeles Times columnist wrote the following about the Voit Trophy tradition:
"Jim Plunkett was in Pasadena Monday to receive the 19th Annual Voit Memorial Trophy, which goes to the Pacific Coast's top player. The trophy stands nearly as high as most men who receive it, but Plunkett dwarfed the thing. ... The Voit Trophy, though, is an accurate mirror of later success in professional ball. Three of the NFL's top quarterbacks -- Joe Kapp, Billy Kilmer and Craig Morton -- all won it, as did such other pro players as Mike Garrett, Gary Beban and O. J. Simpson. Since the award was instituted in 1951, only one winner has failed to play pro ball of some sort." [9]
In addition to the notable NFL players to win the Voit Trophy, the runners-up in the Voit voting included such Hall of Fame players as John Brodie (Voit runner-up in 1956), Mel Renfro (Voit runner-up in 1963), and Hugh McElhenny (Voit runner-up in 1951).
Unlike the Pop Warner Trophy, awarded each year to the top senior football player on the West Coast, the Voit Trophy was open to underclassmen. Accordingly, three players received the Voit Trophy in multiple years. The multi-year winners of the award are USC Trojans running back Jon Arnett (1955 and 1956), Stanford Cardinal quarterback Jim Plunkett (1969 and 1970), and USC tailback Anthony Davis (1972 and 1974).
USC and Stanford athletes won the Voit Trophy more than those at any other school, with USC athletes taking the trophy nine times and Stanford athletes doing so six times.
In 1975, the Pac-10 Conference began awarding its own Player of the Year award, diminishing the significance of the Voit Trophy. The award of the trophy was discontinued shortly thereafter.
Recipients of the Voit Trophy are as follows:
| Year | Recipient | Position | School | Points | Runners-up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Bill McColl | End | Stanford | 31 | Hugh McElhenny, Washington (27), Ollie Matson, USF (24) | [2] |
| 1952 | Jim Sears | Halfback | USC | 53 | Donn Moomaw, UCLA (45), Elmer Wilhoite, USC (20) | [10] |
| 1953 | Bobby Garrett | Quarterback | Stanford | 78 | Paul Cameron, UCLA (42), Paul Larson, QB, California (25) | [11] |
| 1954 | Paul Larson | QB | California | 50 | George Shaw, Oregon (41), Jack Ellena, UCLA (36) | [12] [13] |
| 1955 | Jon Arnett | Back | USC | [14] [5] | ||
| 1956 | Jon Arnett | Back | USC | 72 | John Brodie, Stanford (55), John Witte, Oregon St. (27) | [15] [16] |
| 1957 | Dick Wallen | End | UCLA | 60 | Bob Newman, Wash. St. (30), Joe Francis, Oregon St. (26) | [17] |
| 1958 | Joe Kapp | Quarterback | California | 117 | Dick Bass, College of the Pacific (36), Chris Burford, Oregon St. (19) | [18] |
| 1959 | Bob Schloredt | Quarterback | Washington | 110 | Chris Burford, Stanford (38) | [19] [20] |
| 1960 | Billy Kilmer | Tailback | UCLA | Roy McKasson, Washington, Marlin McKeever, USC | [21] [22] | |
| 1961 | Hugh Campbell | Wide receiver | Wash. St. | 59 | Terry Baker, Oregon St. (33), Bobby Smith, UCLA | [23] [24] |
| 1962 | Terry Baker | Quarterback | Oregon St. | 133 | Hal Bedsole, USC (43) | [25] |
| 1963 | Vern Burke | Split end | Oregon St. | 57 | Mel Renfro, Oregon (45), Craig Morton, California (38) | [26] [27] |
| 1964 | Craig Morton | Quarterback | California | 96 | Mike Garrett, USC (57), Bob Berry, Oregon (49) | [28] [29] |
| 1965 | Mike Garrett | Tailback | USC | 147 | Gary Beban, UCLA (80), Ray Handley, Stanford (7) | [30] [31] |
| 1966 | Pete Pifer | Fullback | Oregon St. | 102 | Gary Beban, UCLA (80), Mel Farr, UCLA (63) | [32] [33] |
| 1967 | Gary Beban | Quarterback | UCLA | 153 | O. J. Simpson, USC (119), Bill Enyart, Oregon St. (7) | [34] |
| 1968 | O. J. Simpson | Tailback | USC | 180 | Bill Enyart, Oregon St. (55), Gene Washington, Stanford (30) | [35] |
| 1969 | Jim Plunkett | Quarterback | Stanford | 128 | Dennis Shaw, San Diego St. (54), Jimmy Gunn USC (17) | [36] [37] |
| 1970 | Jim Plunkett | Quarterback | Stanford | 158 | Dennis Dummit, UCLA (49), Sonny Sixkiller, Washington (30) | [38] |
| 1971 | Don Bunce | Quarterback | Stanford | 81 | Bernard Jackson, Wash. St. (72), Jeff Siemon, Stanford (20) | [39] [40] |
| 1972 | Anthony Davis | Tailback | USC | 107 | Charle Young, USC (32); Dan Fouts, Oregon (30) | [41] |
| 1973 | Kermit Johnson | Halfback | UCLA | |||
| 1974 | Anthony Davis | Tailback | USC | [42] | ||
| 1975 | Chuck Muncie | Halfback | California | 109 | John Sciarra, UCLA (49), Ricky Bell (44) | [43] |
| 1976 | Ricky Bell | Tailback | USC | 120 | Jeff Dankworth, UCLA (31), Duncan McColl, Stanford (27) | [44] |
| 1977 | Guy Benjamin | Quarterback | Stanford | Warren Moon | [45] | |
| 1978 | Charles White | Tailback | USC | [15] | ||