Oklahoma State University Athletics
National Award Winners
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.
Barry 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.
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.
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