TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, has released the 2017 Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list. The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back or running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes the outstanding receiver, not merely the outstanding wide receiver. The award recipient is selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, and former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. BiletnikoffAward.com/voters
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Receivers are periodically added to the watch list as their season performances dictate. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
The transparently detailed and explicit criteria for candidate eligibility, watch list inclusion and voting appear at BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria
The 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on Dec. 7 on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show from 7–9 p.m. ET on ESPN. College Football Hall of Famer, Heisman Trophy winner and Biletnikoff Award voter Desmond Howard will present the 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner on the show. Howard is one of only five ends or receivers who has won the Heisman Trophy, joining Larry Kelley, Leon Hart, Johnny Rodgers and Biletnikoff Award voter Tim Brown.
The correlation between Biletnikoff Award winners and stardom in the National Football League is uncannily predictable. Past Biletnikoff Award winners include Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper and Larry Fitzgerald.
RELATED: All college football 2017 watch lists
The 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented the Biletnikoff Award trophy by college and pro football Hall of Famers Fred Biletnikoff and keynoter Floyd Little before 550 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. The banquet was hailed by 2014 keynote speaker Dick Vermeil, as well as by 2013 keynoter Larry Csonka, as “the best banquet in college sports.”
The banquet has featured distinguished keynoters of profound character and accomplishments including Bart Starr, Dick Vermeil, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Ron Jaworski, Gene Stallings, Bob Griese, Bill Curry, Bobby Bowden, Jim Kelly, Jerry Kramer, Joe Theismann and Dan Fouts.
The banquet also recognizes the Foundation’s scholarship recipients who will be offered by the Foundation over $800,000 in college and vocational scholarships and related benefits in 2018 alone, as in 2016 and 2017. The Foundation’s charitable mission is the provision of college and vocational scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extra-curricular levels.
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., will announce the ten Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on Nov. 13, following the vote by the members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared, following another vote, on Nov. 21. For complete details and updates of interest, together with weekly statistics and timely, important news of the Biletnikoff Award candidates, as well as a fan vote and discussion board, please consult the Foundation’s highly informative website at BiletnikoffAward.com.
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was an All-America receiver at Florida State, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965-78. Biletnikoff was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation (TQC), Inc., created the Biletnikoff Award in 1994.
2017 Biletnikoff watch list:
Sergio Bailey II, Eastern Michigan
Linell Bonner, Houston
Adam Breneman, Massachusetts
Ventell Bryant, Temple
Deon Cain, Clemson
Keke Coutee, Texas Tech
Deondre Douglas, Troy
Jonathan Duhart, Old Dominion
Shay Fields, Colorado
Michael Gallup, Colorado State
James Gardner, Miami (Ohio)
Devin Gray, Cincinnati
Andy Isabella, Massachusetts
Richie James, Middle Tennessee
Jon’Vea Johnson, Toledo
KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State
Christian Kirk, Texas A&M
Allen Lazard, Iowa State
Tavares Martin Jr., Washington State
Jalen McCleskey, Oklahoma State
Anthony Miller, Memphis
Scott Miller, Bowling Green
J’Mon Moore, Missouri
Dante Pettis, Washington
Ervin Philips, Syracuse
Cam Phillips, Virginia Tech
T.J. Rahming, Duke
Ahmmon Richards, Miami
Calvin Ridley, Alabama
Demetris Robertson, California
Devin Ross, Colorado
Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
Steven Sims Jr., Kansas
Tre’Quan Smith, UCF
Equanimeous St. Brown, Notre Dame
Allenzae Staggers, Southern Miss
Courtland Sutton, SMU
Cody Thompson, Toledo
Emanuel Thompson, Troy
James Washington, Oklahoma State
Jester Weah, Pitt
Nick Westbrook, Indiana
Jimmy Williams, East Carolina
Corey Willis, Central Michigan
Cedrick Wilson, Boise State