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The campus of Oklahoma State University has been blessed with some of
the greatest individual performers in the history of college athletics,
from Bob Fenimore to Barry Sanders. Berry Sanders claimed the 1988
Heisman trophy with a record-breaking season. Terry Miller and Bob
Fenimore both finished among the top 10 in Heisman voting twice. Miller
was the Heisman runner-up, and Fenimore finished third in the Heisman
balloting. In 2011, Oklahoma State junior
Justin Blackmon became just the second player to twice be named the
Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's best receiver when he won the
Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation's 2011 award at the Home Depot
College Football Awards Show.
Blackmon, who also captured the award as a sophomore in 2010, joins
former Texas Tech great Michael Crabtree as the only players in history
to win the Biletnikoff Award twice. Crabtree took home the honor in 2007
and 2008.
A native of Ardmore, Okla., Blackmon followed his record-setting
sophomore season with another standout performance in 2011. He has
recorded 113 catches for 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He
ranks second nationally in receptions per game (11.82) and eighth in
receiving yards per game (111.33).
Blackmon, who beat out finalists Ryan Broyles of Oklahoma and Robert
Woods of USC for the award, was a unanimous All-Big 12 First-Team
receiver for the second-straight year in 2011, and he also became the
10th two-time All-American in OSU history.
Oklahoma State's all-time leading scorer
Dan Bailey capped his career with one of the greatest honors a
collegiate kicker can receive, as he was presented with the 2010 Lou
Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award at the Home Depot College Football
Awards show on ESPN.
Bailey received the award, sponsored by the Palm Beach County Sports
Commission and named for Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe"
Groza, in front of a national television audience.
After joining the team as a walk-on from Mustang, Okla., Bailey
consistently improved throughout his career and became one of the most
valuable players on Oklahoma State's record-setting 10-win regular
season in 2010.
In addition to the school record for career scoring (358), Bailey holds
the OSU mark for consecutive PAT conversions (182) and field goals made
in a season (24). The all-Big 12 kicker is 24-28 on field goal tries and
has converted 65 PATs this year, ranking third nationally in field goals
made and second nationally in points per game with 11.42.
Bailey, the Big 12 special teams player of the year, is the first Cowboy
in school history to receive the Lou Groza Award.
In 2008, Oklahoma State compiled a lengthy list of
individual achievements including just the fourth 200-200 in NCAA
history when Dez Bryant had 236 receiving yards and Kendall Hunter added
210 rushing yards in the win over Houston. By the end of the 2008
season, Oklahoma State football had contenders for national individual
honors throughout the roster.
- OSU senior Matt Fodge was presented with the Ray Guy award as
the nation's top punter.
- Dez Bryant was the runner-up for the Fred Biletnikoff Award,
presented annually to the nation's top receiver. He was also a
consensus All-America selection after a sensational sophomore
season.
- Brandon Pettigrew was a finalist for the Mackey Award, presented
to the nation's top tight end.
- Quarterback Zac Robinson was a finalist for the Manning Award,
presented to the best quarterback in the country.
- Running back Kendall Hunter and kick returner Perrish Cox joined
Dez Bryant as first team All-Americans in 2008.
Oklahoma State running back
Kendall Hunter and punter/kickoff specialist
Quinn Sharp are listed among the 2010 preseason favorites for the
College Football Performance Awards at their respective positions.
Sharp won the 2009 kickoff specialist performance award as a freshman
after leading the nation in kickoffs that resulted in touchbacks with
35. According to the College Football Performance Awards criteria,
Sharp's kickoff performance is the second strongest since the kickoff
was moved back to the 30 yard line. Sharp's 50% touchback percentage in
2009 was roughly 41% higher than the national median.
He is also a strong candidate for the top punter honor after ranking
fifth nationally in 2009 with a 45.1 yards per punt average. His average
ranks third among punters returning in 2010.
Hunter was a first-team All-American in 2008 after leading the Big 12
and ranking seventh nationally with 119.6 rushing yards per game. He
spent much of the 2009 season on the sidelines due to injury, but still
enters the 2010 season averaging more than six yards per carry for his
career.
No other school has received more Performance Award trophies than
Oklahoma State the last two years.
Perrish Cox (2008 kickoff returner),
Dez Bryant (2008 wide receiver) and Sharp (2009 kickoff specialist)
have all finished seasons with the strongest performances at their
respective positions.
The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide
the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football.
Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific
rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall
effectiveness of their teams. |