Top football talent from all corners of the country graced Columbus Saturday to be recognized for its effort on the gridiron this past fall.
| AWARD | RECIPIENT |
|---|---|
| AWARD OF DISTINCTION | ED RATLEFF – COLLEGE BASKETBALL HOF |
| ARCHIE GRIFFIN AWARD | DESHAUN WATSON – CLEMSON |
| SAMMY BAUGH AWARD | MATT JOHNSON – BOWLING GREEN |
| MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | REGGIE OWENS – SOUTH CAROLINA STATE |
| FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | MARGO GEER – ARIZONA |
| CHIC HARLEY AWARD | CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY – STANFORD |
| WOODY HAYES AWARD | KIRK FERENTZ – IOWA |
| JIM BROWN AWARD | DALVIN COOK – FLORIDA STATE |
| PAUL WARFIELD AWARD | ROGER LEWIS – BOWLING GREEN |
| OZZIE NEWSOME AWARD | JAKE BUTT – MICHIGAN |
| JACK LAMBERT AWARD | JOE SCHOBERT – WISCONSIN |
| BILL WILLIS AWARD | MYLES GARRETT – TEXAS A&M |
| JACK TATUM AWARD | DESMOND KING – IOWA |
| JIM PARKER AWARD | LANDON TURNER – NORTH CAROLINA |
| VLADE AWARD | AIDAN SCHNEIDER – OREGON |
| FCS PLAYER OF THE YEAR | ELI JENKINS – JACKSONVILLE STATE |
| SAM B. NICOLA AWARD | JACOB EASON – LAKE STEVENS, WASHINGTON |
| LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | DON DONOHER (BASKETBALL HOF) |
| FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR | TANNER MANGUM – BYU |
| JAMES A. RHOADES AWARD | TODD SIBLEY AKRON HOBAN HIGH SCHOOL |
Before a crowd of 400, President and Co-Chairman Curt Boster presented the 61st annual Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards at the LC Pavilion, honoring stellar 2015 seasons for not only Ohio-based contingents but other representatives from top college and high school football programs.
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson received the Archie Griffin Award as the most outstanding player, while Florida State running back Dalvin Cook took home the Jim Brown Award as the top running back. Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey earned the Chic Harley Award as the best all-purpose player (absent), while the club recognized Matt Johnson from Bowling Green with the Sammy Baugh Award as the nation’s most outstanding passer. Michigan tight end Jake Butt won the Ozzie Newsome Award as the best at his position.
| PLAYER | HIGH SCHOOL |
|---|---|
| JONATHON COOPER | GAHANNA |
| SETH CURRENS | PICKERINGTON CENTRAL |
| MESSIAH DEWEAVER | HUBER HEIGHTS WAYNE |
| LIAN EICHENBERG | CLEVELAND ST. IGNATIUS |
| LUKE FARRELL | PERRY |
| BRENDAN FERNS | ST. CLAIRSVILLE |
| RUBEN FLOWERS | LIMA SENIOR |
| ALEX GELLERSTEDT | DUBLIN COFFMAN |
| JAKE HAUSMANN | CINCINNATI MOELLER |
| GEORGE HILL | HUBBARD |
| TOMMY KRAEMER | CINCINNATI ELDER |
| JUSTIN LAYNE | CLEVELAND BENEDICTINE |
| DEMARIO MCCALL | NORTH RIDGEVILLE |
| PRINCE SAMMONS | CINCINNATI HILLS |
| BENNY SNELL JR. | WESTERVILLE CENTRAL |
| JACK WOHLABAUGH | WALSH JESUIT |
| JERRON CAGE* | WINTON WOODS |
| DANNY DAVIS III* | SPRINGFIELD |
| JAYLEN HARRIS* | CLEVELAND HEIGHTS |
| JOSH MYERS* | MIAMISBURG |
| TODD SIBLEY* | AKRON HOBAN |
| TADAS TATARUNAS* | MENTOR |
| MICHAEL WARREN* | TOLEDO CENTRAL CATHOLIC |
| MARCUS WILLIAMSON* | WESTERVILLE SOUTH |
Current Ohio State footballers also took in the evening to add some local flavor. Middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan, defensive end Sam Hubbard and offensive lineman Billy Price all accepted invitations on behalf of Urban Meyer’s program.
The Club also honors top Ohio high school players—dubbed Buckeye Blue Chips—as the top 16 seniors in the state and eight underclassmen. Among them were Ohio State signees tight end Luke Farrell, offensive lineman Jack Wohlabaugh and class of 2017 commit running back Todd Sibley. Other Buckeye signees Jonathan Cooper, Demario McCall and Jake Hausmann also were selected, but did not attend.
A silent auction with everything from Ohio State regalia, to Cincinnati Reds and Bengals signed photos to even Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia raised money for the Touchdown Club of Columbus.
Ohio State's lone baseball national championship team also special recognition in a "Then And Now" segment that dissected the 1966 squad.
The Touchdown Club of Columbus has recognized top athletes every year since its 1956 inception. The Club was founded by Sam B. Nicola at the request of State Auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of Ohio.
Past Buckeye award winners—according to the Club's website—include 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who won the Kellen Moore Award as the top quarterback. This year's honor was given to Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, whom the Buckeyes play this fall. Mayfield did not attend Saturday's ceremony.
Another Buckeye Heisman winner, Eddie George, received the Jim Brown Award after his brilliant 1995 campaign. Orlando Pace earned the Jim Parker Award as the nation's top offensive lineman in 1996. Joey Bosa (2014), John Simon (2012), Quinn Pitcock (2006) and Dan Wilkinson (1993) lead the Buckeye defensive line contingent with Bill Willis Awards to their names, given to the top defensive linemen in the country.
A.J. Hawk (2005) and Andy Katzenmoyer (1997) won the Jack Lambert Award as the nation's top linebackers for their respective years. Mike Doss (2002) and Antoine Winfield (1998) each one the Jack Tatum Award. Former tailback Maurice Clarett was named Freshman of the Year following the 2002 national championship season.
