College football : Gators’ Tebow wins two big awards
Tim Tebow stopped off in central Florida on Wednesday on the way to the Heisman Trophy presentation and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards.
The Florida quarterback beat out fellow Heisman finalist Darren McFadden of Arkansas and Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation’s best all-round player, at the college football awards show held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
“I just want to thank my teammates and all the seniors back in Gainesville,” Tebow said. “I’m just glad to be a Gator.”
Tebow, the first player in major college football to run for at least 20 touchdowns and throw for at least 20, is considered the favorite for the Heisman and is trying to become the first sophomore to win the award.
Tebow beat out Daniel and Dixon for the O’Brien award, given to the nation’s top quarterback.
Other winners are:
Doak Walker Award (best running back): McFadden, who has also won the Walter Camp Award, a player of the year honor. Chuck Bednarik Trophy (best linebacker): Dan Connor, Penn State.
Outland Trophy (best interior lineman): LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who already won the Lombardi Award (outstanding lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (outstanding defensive player).
Biletnikoff Award (best receiver): Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech.
Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back): Antoine Cason, Arizona.
Lou Groza Award (best kicker): Thomas Weber, Arizona State.
Ray Guy Award (best punter): Durrant Brooks, Georgia Tech.
Coach of the Year: Mark Mangino, Kansas.
Notes
Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe announced that he will return to coach the Demon Deacons next year, rejecting overtures from Arkansas. Wake Forest will play in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. … Butch Davis apparently isn’t going anywhere. North Carolina’s coach, whose name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for other coaching vacancies, said he won’t talk with other schools about jobs and will return for his second season at Chapel Hill. … The University of South Alabama’s board of trustees voted unanimously to start a football program in a long-discussed move. The university plans to field a team starting in 2009 and make a full transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision by 2013.