NEW ORLEANS (January 11, 2006) – Texas QB Vince Young has been named the winner of the Manning Award, honoring the nation’s top quarterback, the Nokia Sugar Bowl Committee, along with the Manning family, announced Wednesday. Finalists for the award included Matt Leinart of USC, Drew Olson of UCLA, Brady Quinn of Notre Dame and D.J. Shockley of Georgia.
“Vince Young showed us all throughout the season that he is indeed a special talent and a fine young man,” said Sugar Bowl Executive Director Paul Hoolahan. “His performance in the Rose Bowl served only to accentuate that. We are proud to have him as this year’s Manning Award winner.”
Young has already been named the recipient of the Maxwell Award (nation’s top player) and Davey O’Brien Award (nation’s top quarterback), as well as being named Cingular/ABC Player of the Year, runner-up to the Heisman Trophy and consensus first-team All-America. He also was named offensive MVP of back-to-back Rose Bowls in 2005 and 2006.
“For the second year in a row we have had an outstanding winner,” said Archie Manning. “Vince had a great year at the University of Texas, and capped it off with one of the most spectacular bowl games in history. We are proud that he will represent this award.”
This season, Young led the Longhorns to their fourth National Championship in school history and the first since 1970. He also leaves Texas as the winningest quarterback in school history, compiling a 30-2 record as a starter. His .938 winning percentage is the sixth-best in NCAA history.
As a junior, Young became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards or more and pass for 2,500 yards or more in the same season. He finished with 1,050 yards and 12 TDs on the ground, while completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 3,036 yards (No. 3 on UT’s single-season list) and 26 TDs (T-No. 1 on UT’s single season list). He also set the school single-season total offense record with 4,086 yards. His 163.95 passer rating was the third best in the nation.
For his career, Young became just the third quarterback in NCAA history to rush for 3,000 yards or more and pass for 6,000 yards or more, joining Antwaan Randle El of Indiana and Joshua Cribbs of Kent State. He completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 6,040 yards (No. 5 on UT’s career list) and 44 TDs (No. 4 on UT’s career list). He also rushed for 3,127 yards and 37 TDs, while averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Both his rushing yards and TDs are UT quarterback records, and stand fifth and fourth, respectively, among all rushers. He is also the Texas career leader in total offense with 9,167 yards and TDs responsible for with 81.
The Manning Award was created in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning and is presented annually following the holiday bowl season. The winner is determined by a panel of national media covering college football, the Mannings and a former Sugar Bowl MVP quarterback, which rotates annually.
The 2006 award winner will be honored at a formal ceremony at a date, time and location to be determined. Previous award information was changed due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in the city of New Orleans.
