OU Football Tradition | Award Winners

Maxwell Award | Official Site
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate player adjudged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and NCAA head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States.
 

2004 | Jason White

Oklahoma quarterback Jason White became the first Sooner since Tommy McDonald in 1956 to win the Maxwell Award as the most outstanding player in college football after leading the Sooners to a Big 12 Championship and a berth in the BCS National Championship Game in the 2005 FedEx Orange Bowl.
 
White completed a career-best 65.3 percent of his passes in 2004 for 2,961 yard and 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions. The Tuttle, Okla., native led the Sooners to a second consecutive undefeated season, a Big 12 Championship and a berth in the BCS National Championship Game in the 2005 FedEx Orange Bowl.
 
White passed Josh Heupel in the 2004 Big 12 Championship Game as OU's all-time career passing leader with 7,678 yards.
 
The 2003 Heisman Trophy winner returned for his sixth season in 2004 after suffering injuries in 2001 and 2002.
 

Passing Statistics
Season	G-GS	Eff	Cmp	Att	Int	Pct	Yds	TDs	Long	Avg/Game
1999	2-0	87.8	1	2	0	.500	9	0	9	4.5
2001	7-2	124.5	73	113	3	.646	681	5	45	97.3
2002*	2-2	101.5	20	34	2	.588	181	1	32	90.5
2003	14-14	158.1	278	451	10	.616	3,846	40	77	274.7
2004	13-13	159.4	255	390	9	.654	3,205	35	72	246.5
Totals	38-31	152.7	627	990	24	.633	7,922	81	77

* injured during season
 

1956 | Tommy McDonald

Tommy McDonald was named to the Associated Press All-America teams in both 1955 and 1956. During the 1955 season, the two time all-conference selection became the first OU player to score a touchdown in every game of a season.
 
The explosive running back from Albuquerque, N.M., received a number of awards during his career, including the 1956 Maxwell Memorial Award and The Sporting News award. Both awards are given to the player of the year.
 
McDonald was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1985. Not only a great running back, McDonald was also a deadly passer. He completed 28 of 44 passes during his career, good for a 72% average.
 
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles during the third round in 1957. He was inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame in 1998.
 

Career Statistics
Season	Att	Cmp	Int	Yds	TDs	Att	Yds	Tds
1954	27	3	0	123	0	27	128	9
1955	-	17	0	284	0	103	29	1
1956	12	8	1	183	3	130	52	6
Totals	249	28	1	590	3	44	170	23