THE JIM THORPE AWARD
Phil Steele is proud to be on the voting Commitee for the Jim Thorpe Award!
Congratulations to the  2012 Jim Thorpe Winner Johnthan Banks, Mississippi St
		Nation's Outstanding Defensive Back
		For more information about this award, please feel free to visit: jimthorpeassoc.org
Congratulations To the 2012 Finalists: Dee Milliner, Alabama & Phillip Thomas, Fresno St

The Jim Thorpe Award is one of college football’s most sought after and prestigious awards.  It is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was an awesome defensive back.  Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as “The Legend”, Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.

The candidates for the award are selected by a “screening committee” of Jim Thorpe Association members who follow several players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee then narrows the field three finalists and the names of these finalists are submitted to a national panel of about 50 sports writers, sportscasters, coaches and former players who vote to determine the winner.

The presentation of Jim Thorpe Award will be featured on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards live on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.  The show, hosted by ESPN’s Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit will feature the live presentation of nine player awards, along with the recipients of Disney’s Spirit Award; The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, the NCFAA (National College Football Awards Association) Contributions to College Football Award; and student-athletes selected to the Walter Camp All-America Team.  Fans can visit the show’s dedicated Web site at http://www.espncollegefootballawards.com to find the latest college football awards news, including show details, previous winners, fan voting, a photo gallery and video highlights.

Each week, Phil Steele will be overlooking the candidates issued by the school, the conference and distinguished committee members. After including his own personal input, the winner will be announced every Thursday at jimthorpeassoc.org and PhilSteele.com.