Alabama's DeVonta Smith Sweeps All Three College Football Player of the Year Awards
It has certainly been an historic season for Alabama football.
With the College Football Playoff National Championship against Ohio State looming, the Crimson Tide was up for 11 awards on Thursday night at ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards. In total, Alabama walked away with seven of the awards.
The seven awards by Alabama was the most individual awards given to a single team in college football history.
Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith finished the night as one of the most-decorated college football players in history. Along with his Heisman Trophy that he received on Tuesday night, Smith was named the winner of the Maxwell Award as well as the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
Smith was also the winner of the 2020 Biletnikoff Award, an annual honor given to the best receiver in college football. That brings Smith to four total awards between tonight and Tuesday, along with his AP Player of the Year honors.
Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones walked home with the Davey O'Brien Award, the award given to the nation's top quarterback. Jones edged out the other two finalists in Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Florida's Kyle Trask for the honor.
For the Doak Walker Award, Alabama running back Najee Harris was named the winner. The award is given to the top running back in the country.
In probably the most emotional moment of the night for Crimson Tide fans, Crimson Tide center Landon Dickerson was named the recipient of the Rimington Trophy, which is given to the nation's top center. Dickerson suffered a season-ending knee injury against Florida in the SEC Championship Game.
When the camera was on him, Dickerson welcomed the entire offensive line unit as well as Jones up onto the stage in a moment that depicted his leadership on the team.
Alex Leatherwood completed the Crimson Tide's seven awards with the Outland Trophy, the award given to the nation's top interior lineman.
In addition to the awards, the 2020 Walter Camp All-America Team was also announced. In total, six Alabama athletes were named to the list, with five of them hailing from the offense — the most first-team players from one team in Walter Camp history.
Jones, Harris, Smith, Leatherwood and Dickerson were all named to the All-America team on offense. Defensive back Patrick Surtain II was the lone Alabama defender named to the list.
For the full list of award winners and finalists as well as live updates and quotes from the night, see below:
Live updates:
- The Home Depot College Football Awards show is slated to start at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The show will be hosted by ESPN's Rece Davis alongside reporter Holly Rowe.
- The show opened with an homage to college football in 2020, with players, coaches, fans and ESPN personalities all thanking the sport and those that make it great.
- The Davey O'Brien Award is up first. Mac Jones of Alabama is up for the award along with Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Florida's Kyle Trask.
- Mac Jones is the winner of the 2020 Davey O'Brien Award.
- Jones: "It's definitely an honor to win this award and be up there with the greats of college football."
- Jones is the first winner of the award in Crimson Tide program history.
- The Chuck Bednarik Award is up next. Alabama defensive back Patrick Surtain II is up for the award.
- Zaven Collins of Tulsa is the winner of the 2020 Chuck Bednarik Award.
- Collins was also the winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
- The Outland Trophy for the nation's best interior lineman is up next. Alex Leatherwood of Alabama is up for the award.
- Alex Leatherwood is the winner of the 2020 Outland Trophy.
- ESPN's David Pollack just called Alabama's offensive line the best of all time.
- Leatherwood: "[I'm] just trying to be the best player that I can be."
- Leatherwood on penning the Black Lives Matter video sent out by Alabama football last year during the protests against racial injustice: "I'm more than just a football player. I actually care about the things that happen outside this place."
- Leatherwood is Alabama's sixth Outland Trophy winner.
- The Lou Groza Award is next on the docket. Crimson Tide placekicker Will Reichard is up for the award.
- Miami's Jose Borregales is the winner of the 2020 Lou Groza Award.
- The Biletnikoff Award is slated up next. Alabama wide receiver and 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith is up for the award. The other two finalists are Florida's Kyle Pitts and Ole Miss' Elijah Moore.
- DeVonta Smith is the winner of the 2020 Biletnikoff Award.
- Smith on his best attribute as a receiver: "I would say my hands. Just not letting the ball get to my body."
- The Ray Guy Award is up next. The award is given to the best punter in college football. No Alabama players are finalists for the award this season. Georgia's Jake Camarda, Georgia Tech's Pressley Harvin III and Miami's Lou Hedley are up for the award.
- Pressley Harvin III of Georgia Tech is the winner of the 2020 Ray Guy Award.
- Harvin is the first African-American to win the award. He also averaged 48 yards per punt this season.
- Alabama center Landon Dickerson is the winner of the 2020 Rimington Trophy, the award given to the best center in college football.
- Holly Rowe interviewed Dickerson and in a surprise move, Dickerson brought the entire offensive line unit into the camera view along with Mac Jones. Dickerson suffered a season-ending knee injury during the SEC Championship Game, but will still travel with the team to Miami.
- List of Alabama players on the Walter Camp All America Team: quarterback Mac Jones, running back Najee Harris, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, center Landon Dickerson, defensive back Patrick Surtain II.
- DeVonta Smith is the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
- Clemson running back Darien Rencher is the winner of the 2020 Disney Spirit Award.
- The Doak Walker Award is up next. The award is given to college football's most outstanding running back. Alabama's Najee Harris is up for the award.
- Najee Harris is the 2020 Doak Walker Award winner.
- Harris is the third Alabama player to win the award along with Trent Richardson in 2011 and Derrick Henry in 2015.
- Harris said that coming to Alabama from California was "a leap of faith."
- Harris on his work ethic: "I always work just to get better and better each day."
- Florida's Kyle Pitts is the winner of the 2020 John Mackey Award, the award given to the nation's top tight end.
- The Jim Thorpe Award is up next. The award is given annually to the best defensive back in the country.
- Trevon Moehrig of TCU is the winner of the 2020 Jim Thorpe Award.
- The final award of the night is the Maxwell Award, which is given every year to the best overall player in college football.
- DeVonta Smith wins his third award of the night in the 2020 Maxwell Award.
- Smith is the first non-quarterback to win the award since Derrick Henry and the first wide receiver since Desmond Howard.
- Smith on where he's going to put all of his awards: "I'll leave that up to my mom. She usually has somewhere to put it."
- And with that, the awards show is over and Alabama walks home with seven awards on the night. DeVonta Smith swept the big three player of the year awards in the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year. Truly an impressive night for the Crimson Tide.
2020 Walter Camp All America Team
Full List of Awards Finalists:
(Alabama players nominated highlighted in bold, with winners noted in front of their names)
Rimington Trophy - Best Center
- (winner) Landon Dickerson, Alabama (Sr.)
- Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa (So.)
- Josh Myers, Ohio State (Jr.)
Chuck Bednarik Award - Best Defensive Player
- (winner) Zaven Collins, Tulsa (Jr.)
- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame (Sr.)
- Patrick Surtain II, Alabama (Jr.)
Biletnikoff Award - Best Receiver
- Elijah Moore, Ole Miss (Jr.)
- Kyle Pitts, Florida (Jr.)
- (winner) DeVonta Smith, Alabama (Sr.)
Lou Groza Award - Best Placekicker
- (winner) Jose Borregales, Miami (Sr.)
- Jake Oldroyd, BYU (So.)
- Will Reichard, Alabama (So.)
Ray Guy Award - Best Punter
- Jake Camarda, Georgia (Jr.)
- (winner) Pressley Harvin III, Georgia Tech (Sr.)
- Lou Hedley, Miami (Jr.)
Maxwell Award - Best Overall Player
- Mac Jones, Alabama (Jr.)
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (Jr.)
- (winner) DeVonta Smith, Alabama (Sr.)
Davey O’Brien Award - Best Quarterback
- (winner) Mac Jones, Alabama (Jr.)
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (Jr.)
- Kyle Trask, Florida (Sr.)
Outland Trophy - Best Interior Lineman
- Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame (Gr.)
- (winner) Alex Leatherwood, Alabama (Sr.)
- Daviyon Nixon, Iowa (Jr.)
Jim Thorpe Award - Best Defensive Back
- Richie Grant, UCF (Sr.)
- (winner) Trevon Moehrig, TCU (Jr.)
- Patrick Surtain II, Alabama (Jr.)
Doak Walker Award - Best Running Back
- Travis Etienne, Clemson (Sr.)
- Breece Hall, Iowa State (So.)
- (winner) Najee Harris, Alabama (Sr.)
