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, Billy 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, Billy 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), 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 Billy Kilmer[20] Tailback UCLA Marlin McKeever,[21] USC
1961 Hugh Campbell[22] Wide Receiver Wash. St. 59 Terry Baker,[23] Oregon St. (33)
1962 Terry Baker[24] Quarterback Oregon St.
1963 Vern Burke[24] Split end Oregon St. Mel Renfro,[25] Oregon
1964 Craig Morton[26] Quarterback Cal
1965 Mike Garrett[14] Tailback USC Gary Beban,[27] UCLA (80)
1966 Pete Pifer[24] Fullback Oregon St. 102 Gary Beban,[28] UCLA (80)
1967 Gary Beban[29] Quarterback UCLA 163 O. J. Simpson,[30] USC (119)
1968 O. J. Simpson[14] Tailback USC 180 Bill Enyart,[31] Oregon St. (55)
1969 Jim Plunkett[32] Quarterback Stanford 128 Dennis Shaw,[33] San Diego St. (54)
1970 Jim Plunkett[34] Quarterback Stanford Dennis Dummit,[35] UCLA
1971 Don Bunce[36] Quarterback Stanford 81 Bernard Jackson, Wash. St. (72)
1972 Anthony Davis[37] Tailback USC 107 Charle Young, USC (32); Dan Fouts, Oregon (30)
1973
1974 Anthony Davis Tailback USC
1975 Chuck Muncie[38] Halfback Cal
1976 Ricky Bell[14] Tailback USC 120 Jeff Dankworth,[39] UCLA (31)
1977 Guy Benjamin[40] Quarterback Stanford
1978 Charles White[14] Tailback USC

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Gophers Favored In Writers' Poll". Los Angeles Times. 1961-12-27. (Trophy presented in 1961 by Voit Rubber vice president Mel Barton)
  2. ^ a b c "Tribe's McColl Captures First Voit Trophy". Los Angeles Times. 1951-12-20.
  3. ^ a b "Voit History". Voit.
  4. ^ Jack Geyer. "Wizard of Odds: Troy Favored by 7 Points, but Hill Calls Game Even". Los Angeles Times. (Voit president Willard Voit, son of the trophy's namesake, presented the 1952 trophy)
  5. ^ a b "Jon Arnett Awarded Voit Trophy As Coast's Best Football Player". Los Angeles Times. 1955-12-28. (Willard Voit presented the 1955 award.)
  6. ^ Jack Geyer (1956-12-18). "Luncheon: Iowa Rugged, Says Team's Line Coach". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ Jack Geyer (1957-12-24). "Hayes Scoffs At Big Odds On Buckeyes". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Al Wolf (1959-12-29). "Bowl Coaches Refuse To Sing Blues". Los Angeles Times. (Voit national sales manager Mike Kelly and Rose Bowl Queen present 1959 trophy.)
  9. ^ Dwight Chapin (1969-12-31). "He Could Use The Money: Plunkett Reveals He Was Never Close To Accepting Pro Offer". Los Angeles Times.
  10. ^ "Sears Selected for Voit Award". Los Angeles Times. 1952-12-12.
  11. ^ "Bobby Garrett Awarded Voit Football Trophy". Los Angeles Times. 1953-12-03.
  12. ^ "Voit Trophy Goes To Cal's Paul Larson". Los Angeles Times. 1954-12-15.
  13. ^ "Paul Larson Wins Voit Grid Trophy". Los Angeles Times. 1954-12-08.
  14. ^ a b c d e "USC Rips It: Voit Trophy Winners". petecarroll.com.
  15. ^ "Arnett Wins Voit Grid Award". Los Angeles Times. 1956-12-12.
  16. ^ "UCLA's Wallen Voted Winner of Voit Trophy". Los Angeles Times. 1957-12-19.
  17. ^ "Kapp Winner of Voit Trophy". Los Angeles Times. 1958-12-09.
  18. ^ Al Wolf (1959-12-24). "Huskies Pack Twin Wallop in Backfield". Los Angeles Times.
  19. ^ "Bob Schloredt Named Top West Coast Player". Los Angeles Times. 1959-12-24.
  20. ^ "Kilmer Winner of Voit Trophy". Los Angeles Times. 1960-12-08.
  21. ^ Braven Dyer (1960-12-29). "Sports Parade: Nicholas Likes Huskies' Speed". Los Angeles Times.
  22. ^ "2003 Cougar Football: History and Awards, p. 172" (PDF). Washington State University.
  23. ^ AP (1961-12-20). "Cougar Gets Voit Trophy". Portland Oregonian.
  24. ^ a b c "OSU Player Accolades" (PDF). Oregon State University.
  25. ^ "Beavers' Burke Shades Renfro for Voit Award". Los Angeles Times. 1963-12-10.
  26. ^ "Craig Morton Wins Voit Trophy". Fresno Bee. 1964-12-10.
  27. ^ "Garrett Wins Voit Award As Top Player". Los Angeles Times. 1965-12-07.
  28. ^ "Pete Pifer Captures W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy". Portland Oregonian. 1966-12-07.
  29. ^ "Beban Named Best Player on Coast". Los Angeles Times. 1967-12-05.
  30. ^ AP (1967-12-05). "Beban Wins Voit Award". Portland Oregonian.
  31. ^ "O. J. Voit Winner by a Landslide". Los Angeles Times. 1968-12-10.
  32. ^ "Tribe Tosser Takes Voit Trophy: Plunkett Is Named Best Gridder On Coast". The Times (San Mateo, CA).
  33. ^ AP (1969-12-30). "Jim Plunkett Receives Voit". Portland Oregonian.
  34. ^ "Voit Award Won By Jim Plunkett". Los Angeles Times. 1970-12-09.
  35. ^ AP (1970-12-09). "Plunkett Bags Voit Trophy". Portland Oregonian.
  36. ^ "Bunce Winner of Voit Trophy". Los Angeles Times. 1971-12-15.
  37. ^ "USC's Davis Voted Top Player On Coast". Los Angeles Times. 1972-12-27.
  38. ^ "Muncie Wins Voit Award". Los Angeles Times. 1975-12-20.
  39. ^ AP (1976-12-11). "Voit Award Voted Bell". Portland Oregonian.
  40. ^ "Names in the News". Los Angeles Times. 1977-12-22.
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