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FORT WORTH, Texas (July 17, 2008) – The 2008 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award®      (The O’Brien) Watch List was released today by the Davey O’Brien Foundation and its National Selection Committee. The Watch List spotlights 31 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) quarterbacks who will vie for the award honoring the nation’s best quarterback for the 2008 football season. In addition to the Watch List, all Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks are equal candidates for The O’Brien until semifinalists are selected.


Watch List candidates were selected by a subset of the National Selection Committee and approved by the Davey O’Brien Executive Committee. Semifinalists will be announced October 27; finalists November 24. This prestigious award focuses on accomplishments both on and off the field. The Selection Committee is asked to evaluate all candidates on their quarterback skills and athletic ability, academics, reputation as a team player, character, leadership and sportsmanship.



The 2008 winner will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN December 11. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.



2008 O’Brien Watch List:

Todd Boeckman SR Ohio State
Sam Bradford SO Oklahoma
Tom Brandstater SR Fresno State
Hunter Cantwell SR Louisville
Rudy Carpenter SR Arizona State
Jimmy Clausen SO Notre Dame
Chase Clement SR Rice
Chase Daniel SR Missouri
Sean Glennon SR Virginia Tech
Matt Grothe JR South Florida
Max Hall JR BYU
Cullen Harper SR Clemson
Graham Harrell SR Texas Tech
Chase Holbrook SR New Mexico State
Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada SR Navy
Dan LeFevour JR Central Michigan
Jake Locker JR Washington
Colt McCoy JR Texas
Curtis Painter SR Purdue
Todd Reesing JR Kansas
Mack Sanchez JR USC
Riley Skinner JR Wake Forest
Rusty Smith JR Florida Atlantic
Matthew Stafford JR Georgia
Tim Tebow JR Florida
Mike Teel SR Rutgers
Willie Tuitama SR Arizona
Drew Weatherford SR Florida State
Pat White SR West Virginia
Juice Williams JR Illinois
John Parker Wilson SR Alabama




About The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award®

The O’Brien honors the nation’s best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O’Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O’Brien is overseen by the Davey O’Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation had given away over $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org

It is nice to see him on the list.

The thing that stands out to me is that guys like Jimmy Clausen (ND) and Mark Sanchez (USC) are on the list despite poor performance (Clausen) and virtually no college experience (Sanchez). Seems like a popularity contest more than anything at this point.

GO OWLS!!!