Donte Moncrief Makes Biletnikoff Award Watch List

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

TALLAHASSEE – Ole Miss rising junior Donte Moncrief has been named to the 2013 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List, announced Tuesday by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc.

The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football.

Moncrief turned in a monster sophomore season in 2012 with 66 catches for 979 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 10 TD catches tied for the most in school history, while his four 100-yard receiving games tied for the second-most in school history. The Raleigh, Miss., native was named All-SEC second team by College Sports Madness and third team by Phil Steele. He was also on the Biletnikoff Watch List last year.

The Rebel star is one of 14 Southeastern Conference players on the watch list.

Other Rebels named to watch lists this preseason include Bo Wallace (Maxwell Award), Denzel Nkemdiche (Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award), Evan Swindall (Rimington Trophy) and D.T. Shackelford(Lott IMPACT Trophy, Butkus Award).

According to TQC Foundation Chairman Ritchie Pickron, “Given the significant number of outstanding college receivers playing in the 2013 season, the race for the Biletnikoff Award is wide open.”

The award recipient is selected by the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of over 200 prominent college football journalists, commentators, and former receivers. Receivers may be added to the watch list as their season performances dictate.

The 2013 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on Dec. 12, 2013, on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be broadcast from 7:00 – 9:00pm on ESPN.

Chairman Pickron announced that the Biletnikoff Award winner will receive his trophy before 600 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014. The banquet was hailed by 2013 keynote speaker Larry Csonka as “the best banquet in college sports.” Coaching great Dick Vermeil will deliver the 2014 banquet’s keynote address (following a tradition of distinguished keynoters like Bart Starr, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, and Dan Fouts) and recognize the Foundation’s fifteen scholarship recipients who will receive from the Foundation well over $750,000 in college scholarships. The Foundation’s charitable mission is to provide college scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extra-curricular levels. The banquet will be live streamed on ESPN3.

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. will announce the 10 Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on Nov. 18, 2013, following the vote by the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared, following another vote, on Nov. 25, 2013. For complete details and updates of interest, together with weekly statistics and news of the Biletnikoff Award candidates, please consult the Foundation website at www.biletnikoffaward.com.

The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was an All-Pro receiver with the Oakland Raiders and an All-America receiver at Florida State University. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. created the Biletnikoff Award in 1994.

The Biletnikoff Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more. — Ole Miss Sports Information