W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy

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The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well.[1][2] Award recipients include College Football Hall of Fame inductees, O.J. Simpson, Mike Garrett, Jim Plunkett, Joe Kapp, Craig Morton, Bill Kilmer, and Anthony Davis.

History

The trophy was named after German American entrepreneur William J. Voit (1881–1946),[3] the founder of the W.J. Voit Rubber Company. Voit was one of the oldest sporting goods companies in the world. Founded in 1922, the company developed and patented the first full-molded, all-rubber inflatable ball and the first needle-type air retention valves in the late 1920s.[3] Voit became a leading manufacturer of footballs and basketballs. In the 1950s and 1960s, a representative of the Voit organization presented the Voit Trophy at a banquet preceding the Rose Bowl game.[1][2][4][5][6][7][8] In 1969, a Los Angeles Times columnist wrote the following about the Voit Trophy tradition:

"Jim Plunkett was in Pasadena Monday to receive the 19th Annual Voit Memorial Trophy, which goes to the Pacific Coast's top player. The trophy stands nearly as high as most men who receive it, but Plunkett dwarfed the thing. ... The Voit Trophy, though, is an accurate mirror of later success in professional ball. Three of the NFL's top quarterbacks -- Joe Kapp, Bill Kilmer and Craig Morton -- all won it, as did such other pro players as Mike Garrett, Gary Beban and O.J. Simpson. Since the award was instituted in 1951, only one winner has failed to play pro ball of some sort."[9]

In addition to the notable NFL players to win the Voit Trophy, the runners-up in the Voit voting included such Hall of Fame players as John Brodie (Voit runner-up in 1956) and Mel Renfro (Voit runner-up in 1963), and Hugh McElhenny (Voit runner-up in 1951).

Unlike the Pop Warner Trophy, awarded each year to the top senior football player on the West Coast, the Voit Trophy was open to underclassmen. Accordingly, four players received the Voit Trophy in multiple years. The multi-year winners of the award are USC Trojans running back Jon Arnett (1955 and 1956), Stanford Cardinal quarterback Jim Plunkett (1969 and 1970), and USC tailback Anthony Davis (1972 and 1974).

USC and Stanford athletes won the Voit Trophy more than those at any other school, with USC athletes taking the trophy nine times and Stanford athletes doing so six times.

In 1975, the Pac-10 Conference began awarding its own Player of the Year Awards for offense and defense. After the 1978 season, the Voit Trophy was discontinued.

Recipients

Recipients of the Voit Trophy are as follows:

Yesr Recipient Position School Votes Runner-up
1951 Bill McColl[2] End Stanford 31 Hugh McElhenny, Washington (27)
1952 Jim Sears[10] Halfback USC 53 Donn Moomaw, UCLA (45)
1953 Bobby Garrett[11] Quarterback Stanford 78 Paul Cameron, UCLA (42)
1954 Paul Larson[12] Back Cal 50 George Shaw,[13] Oregon (41)
1955 Jon Arnett[5] Back USC
1956 Jon Arnett[14] Back USC 72 John Brodie,[15] Stanford (55)
1957 Dick Wallen[16] End UCLA 60 Bob Newman, Wash. St. (30)
1958 Joe Kapp[17] Quarterback Cal 117 Dick Bass, College of the Pacific (36)
1959 Bob Schloredt[18] Quarterback Washington 110 Chris Burford,[19] Stanford (38)
1960 Bill Kilmer[20] Tailback UCLA Marlin McKeever,[21] USC
1961 Hugh Campbell[22] Wide Receiver Wash. St.
1962 Terry Baker[23] Quarterback Oregon St.
1963 Vern Burke[23] Split end Oregon St. Mel Renfro,[24] Oregon
1964 Craig Morton[25] Quarterback Cal
1965 Mike Garrett[14] Tailback USC Gary Beban,[26] UCLA
1966 Pete Pifer[23] Fullback Oregon St.
1967 Gary Beban[27] Quarterback UCLA
1968 O.J. Simpson[14] Tailback USC 180 Bill Enyart,[28] Oregon St. (55)
1969 Jim Plunkett[29] Quarterback Stanford
1970 Jim Plunkett[30] Quarterback Stanford
1971 Don Bunce[31] Quarterback Stanford 81 Bernard Jackson, Wash. St. (72)
1972 Anthony Davis[32] Tailback USC 107 Charle Young, USC (32); Dan Fouts, Oregon (30)
1973
1974 Anthony Davis Tailback USC
1975 Chuck Muncie[33] Halfback Cal
1976 Ricky Bell[14] Tailback USC
1977 Guy Benjamin[34] Quarterback Stanford
1978 Charles White[14] Tailback USC

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (Trophy presented in 1961 by Voit Rubber vice president Mel Barton)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (Voit president Willard Voit, son of the trophy's namesake, presented the 1952 trophy)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (Willard Voit presented the 1955 award.)
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (Voit national sales manager Mike Kelly and Rose Bowl Queen present 1959 trophy.)
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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