Gene Upshaw Award
Encyclopedia
The Gene Upshaw Award is awarded to the best United States
college football
lineman, offensive or defensive, in Division II. The award is presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club and is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
.
The award is named after former NFL offensive lineman Gene Upshaw
, who played college football at Texas A&I University
and later for the Oakland Raiders
in the NFL
. He was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame
and Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
lineman, offensive or defensive, in Division II. The award is presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club and is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
.
The award is named after former NFL offensive lineman Gene Upshaw
Gene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League and later the NFL, later the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association...
, who played college football at Texas A&I University
Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries...
and later for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
and Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
Criteria
- Must be a junior or senior in athletic eligibility and competed in at least 70 percent of the team’s regular season games.
- Must play at one of the following positions: Offensive Linemen: tackles, guards, centers (tight ends are ineligible); Defensive Linemen-ends, tackles, nose guards/tackles.
- Must be of good academic standing (eligible to compete). Ineligible players will be disqualified.
- Must be an All-America or all-region caliber candidate (1st or 2nd team).
- Only one nominee per institution (regardless of position).
Previous winners
| Year | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Nathan Baker | OL | Pittsburg State |
| 2005 | Mike McFadden | DL | Grand Valley State |
| 2006 | Mike McFadden | DL | Grand Valley State |
| 2007 | Brandon Barnes | OT | Grand Valley State |
| 2008 | Sam Collins | C | Abilene Christian |
| 2009 | Ben Staggs | OT | West Liberty West Liberty West Liberty may refer to some places in the United States:*West Liberty, Illinois*West Liberty, Iowa*West Liberty, Kentucky*West Liberty, Ohio*West Liberty, Pennsylvania*West Liberty, West Virginia**West Liberty University... |
| 2010 | Brandon Fusco Brandon Fusco Brandon Fusco is an American football center for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Vikings with the 172nd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft... |
C | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania |
Awards won by school
| School | Winners |
|---|---|
| Grand Valley State | 3 |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 1 |
| Abilene Christian | 1 |
| West Liberty | 1 |
| Pittsburg State | 1 |