Dec. 7, 2006
The Maxwell Football Club announced on the ESPN nationally-televised College Awards Show on Dec. 7, 2006, that Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn has been selected as the winner of the 70th Maxwell Award, as 2006 college player of the year.
“Winning this award makes me look forward to Saturday night that much more,” Quinn said. “When you go back and look at it, the so-called rivalry between me and Troy pretty much began with last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Things just kind of went on from there. He and Darren (McFadden) have both had great seasons, and we’ve done pretty well for ourselves. We’ll just see what happens in New York.”
Quinn passed for 3,278 and 35 touchdowns this season, leading the Fighting Irish (10-2) to a Sugar Bowl bid. Notre Dame will face LSU on Jan. 3 in New Orleans.
He is the fifth Notre Dame player to win the Maxwell and first since defensive lineman Ross Browner in 1977.
Previous Maxwell Award Winners from Notre Dame
1949 TE Leon Hart1952 HB John Lattner1953 HB John Lattner1966 LB Jim Lynch1977 DE Ross Browner
In a very close race, Quinn received 297 first-place votes among the 779 votes cast, with 154 second-place and 168 third-place for 1,367 points on a 3-2-1 basis. Second place went to Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith with 258 first-place votes, 177 second and 117 third for 1,245 points. Third place went to Rutgers running back Ray Rice, who received 116 first-place votes, 109 second and 89 third-place votes for 655 points. The remaining 108 votes were divided among 11 other nominees.
In the voting for the 18th Annual George Munger Award as college coach of the year, Rutgers Greg Schiano was first with an overwhelming 480 votes out of 768 cast. Second place went to Ohio State coach Jim Tressell with 87 votes. Third place went to Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis with 71 votes. The remaining 130 votes were divided among 14 other college coaches.
Voters for all the Maxwell College Awards are NCAA head college football coaches, members of the Maxwell Football Club and sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country.
Maxwell Football Club’s 70th Annual Awards banquet will be held at the Atlantic City Harrah’s Hotel on Friday, March 2, 2007. For further information, contact Bob Clark (610-277-8900) or see www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
— ND —