On one of college football’s most glamorous nights, the stars of the 2012 college football season were out in full force as the nation’s best players were honored with a whole host of awards and recognitions on Thursday night.
2012 college football awards: Manti Te’o, Johnny Manziel the big winners
Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o wins six coveted awards, including the Maxwell Award, during college football’s annual awards night. Johnny Manziel becomes the first freshman to receive the Davey O’Brien trophy.
Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE
The most visible among the award recipients were the three Heisman finalists — Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te'o, Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel and Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein. Each of the three received awards in anticipation of the nation's most coveted award ceremony on Saturday night, the Heisman Trophy presentation.
Manziel walked away on Thursday with the Davey O’Brien trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top quarterback. Like he hopes to accomplish with the Heisman, Manziel is the first-ever freshman to receive the honor.
Te'o was honored with a record six trophies on the night, the most of any player and the most ever collected in one night by a college football player. Te'o's record haul broke former Michigan Wolverines star Charles Woodson's record of five awards, set in 1997.
For his role in helping Notre Dame’s defense keep the Fighting Irish undefeated in 2012, Te’o received the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top college football player. Te’o, for his dominating 2012 season, also received the Bronko Nagurski Award, Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award, Walter Camp Award, Dick Butkus Award and Chuck Bednarik Award, all honoring a different achievement during the 2012 season.
Klein, the dual-threat quarterback that led Kansas State to the brink of a national title shot, was given the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Te’o wasn’t the only member of the Fighting Irish to be honored on the night; the Notre Dame coaching staff collected The Home Depot Award for the nation’s best coach -- awarded to Brain Kelly -- and the Frank Broyles Award for top assistant, awarded to Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco.
Elsewhere, and unsurprisingly, USC Trojans receiver Marqise Lee collected the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver, while South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end.
A full list of the night’s winners:
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award - Collin Klein, Kansas State Wildcats
Bronko Nagurski Award - Manti Te’o, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Frank Broyles Award - Bob Diaco, Notre Dame
Campbell Trophy - Barrett Jones, Alabama Crimson Tide
The Home Depot Award - Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Outland Trophy - Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M Aggies
Fred Biletnikoff Award - Marqise Lee, USC Trojans
Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award - Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
Walter Camp Award - Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
John Mackey Award - Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame
Dick Butkus Award - Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
Ted Hendricks Award - Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina Gamecocks
Davey O’Brien Award - Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
Jim Thorpe Award - Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Disney Spirit Award - Nate Boyer, Texas Longhorns
Lou Groza Award - Cairo Santos, Tulane Green Wave
Chuck Bednarik Award - Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
Doak Walker Award - Montee Ball, Wisconsin Badgers
Ray Guy Award - Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Maxwell Award - Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
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