Athlon Sports News
Colt McCoy Wins 2009 Golden Arm Award
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy won the 2009 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented annually to the top senior quarterback in the country by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Foundation.
“Like Johnny Unitas, Colt McCoy has been a leader on the playing field and off, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man,” said John Unitas Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc.
“The winner of the Golden Arm Award is recognized not only for his athletic achievements, but also for his character, citizenship, scholastic achievement and leadership qualities. With respect to each of these measures, Colt McCoy is truly outstanding and a most worthy recipient of this prestigious award.”
The award encapsulates all that is positive in college sports, rewarding performance on the field along with character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game.
This season, McCoy completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 3,512 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while tucking the ball to scramble for 348 yards and three trips to the end zone. More important, McCoy led the Longhorns to a perfect 13–0 season, a Big 12 Conference title and a berth in the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama.
McCoy is the 22nd recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, joining former winners such as Boston College's Matt Ryan (2007), Notre Dame's Brady Quinn (2006), USC's Matt Leinart (2005), Ole Miss' Eli Manning (2003) and Tennessee's Peyton Manning (1997). McCoy beat out Florida’s Tim Tebow, Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson, Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour and Duke’s Thaddeus Lewis to win the award.
“With all of the great quarterbacks around the country, it’s definitely humbling to be picked as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award,” said McCoy, who has compiled a 44-7 record while completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 13,060 yards and 112 touchdowns as a four-year starter at Texas.
“This is an honor I can’t wait to share with my teammates and coaches. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything. So this is an award that reflects the success we’ve had as a team and is a tribute to all of them.”
McCoy was honored on Dec. 11, at a ceremony at the Tremont Grand Plaza in downtown Baltimore - the city where Johnny Unitas starred for the Colts from 1956-72, winning Super Bowl V before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy won the 2009 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented annually to the top senior quarterback in the country by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Foundation.
“Like Johnny Unitas, Colt McCoy has been a leader on the playing field and off, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man,” said John Unitas Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc.
“The winner of the Golden Arm Award is recognized not only for his athletic achievements, but also for his character, citizenship, scholastic achievement and leadership qualities. With respect to each of these measures, Colt McCoy is truly outstanding and a most worthy recipient of this prestigious award.”
The award encapsulates all that is positive in college sports, rewarding performance on the field along with character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game.
This season, McCoy completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 3,512 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while tucking the ball to scramble for 348 yards and three trips to the end zone. More important, McCoy led the Longhorns to a perfect 13–0 season, a Big 12 Conference title and a berth in the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama.
McCoy is the 22nd recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, joining former winners such as Boston College's Matt Ryan (2007), Notre Dame's Brady Quinn (2006), USC's Matt Leinart (2005), Ole Miss' Eli Manning (2003) and Tennessee's Peyton Manning (1997). McCoy beat out Florida’s Tim Tebow, Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson, Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour and Duke’s Thaddeus Lewis to win the award.
“With all of the great quarterbacks around the country, it’s definitely humbling to be picked as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award,” said McCoy, who has compiled a 44-7 record while completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 13,060 yards and 112 touchdowns as a four-year starter at Texas.
“This is an honor I can’t wait to share with my teammates and coaches. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything. So this is an award that reflects the success we’ve had as a team and is a tribute to all of them.”
McCoy was honored on Dec. 11, at a ceremony at the Tremont Grand Plaza in downtown Baltimore - the city where Johnny Unitas starred for the Colts from 1956-72, winning Super Bowl V before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
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"Wow, what a great honor it is to receive an award named after Johnny Unitas, one of the greatest football players ever,” McCoy said. “I had a chance to talk to John, Jr. and Raymond Berry last night when they told me I was this year's winner and I was pretty speechless.
“With all of the great quarterbacks around the country it’s definitely humbling to be picked as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. But, like I told them last night, this is an honor I can't wait to share with my teammates and coaches. Without them I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything, so this is an award that reflects the success we've had as a team and is a tribute to all of them."
“With all of the great quarterbacks around the country it’s definitely humbling to be picked as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. But, like I told them last night, this is an honor I can't wait to share with my teammates and coaches. Without them I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything, so this is an award that reflects the success we've had as a team and is a tribute to all of them."
Often times college football fans and the media become so enthralled with touchdown passes, elusive runs, ferocious tackles and quarterback sacks that we lose sight of other important matters of college athletics. The Golden Arm Award, presented annually to the top senior quarterback by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Foundation encapsulates all that is positive in college sports. The award acknowledges performance on the field for sure. But it goes beyond completion percentage and touchdown strikes. The award values character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game.
"The winner of the Golden Arm Award is recognized not only for his athletic accomplishments, but also for his character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities, and athletic abilities," says John Unitas, Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award bears the name of the man many refer to as the finest quarterback ever to play the game of football.
In addition to honoring a player with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc., has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to deserving scholar-athletes from local area high schools both in Maryland and Kentucky.
"Despite my Dad's outstanding accomplishments, he never forgot his humble beginnings, and this won him a permanent place in the hearts of all who ever knew him," notes Unitas, Jr. "Giving life to his commitment to 'give back,' the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. was established to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young athletes."
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