McCoy highlights big awards night for Big 12

[December 11, 2009]  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) -- Colt McCoy's near blunder in the final seconds of the Big 12 title game hasn't cost him on the awards circuit so far.

It hasn't hurt the conference, either.

McCoy capped a big Thursday night for the Big 12, winning the Maxwell Award honoring the nation's best all-around player.

It was just the latest in a series of postseason honors for McCoy, who also is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He won the Walter Camp Football Foundation's player of the year award for the second consecutive season earlier in the day.

Before he beat out fellow Heisman finalists Mark Ingram of Alabama and Tim Tebow of Florida for the Maxwell, he picked up the Davey O'Brien Award at the annual college football awards at Disney World, given to the nation's best quarterback.

"To win awards like this shows that you're greatly respected," McCoy said. "It means people see the things that you do, and you're rewarded for them."

Apparently they didn't see his last play. Or maybe they just let it slip.

The Longhorns (13-0) needed a field goal as time expired to beat Nebraska 13-12 in the Big 12 title game Saturday night. But on the second-to-last play, McCoy nearly let the clock strike zero on a rollout that surely had Longhorns fans gasping.

The player chasing him all night made out just fine Thursday night, too.

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, also a Heisman finalist, won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player, and took home the Outland Trophy for the best interior lineman. He previously won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player.

The powerhouse defensive lineman put together his best performance of the year against No. 2 Texas. He matched his career high with 12 tackles and had 4 1/2 sacks as the Cornhuskers nearly upset the Longhorns.

"I guess maybe that helped a little bit," Suh said. "I'm just really honored to win these awards and it's really a tribute to my teammates."

McCoy and Suh also will be in New York on Saturday night hoping to win the Heisman. Ingram, Tebow and Stanford's Toby Gerhart are the other finalists for college football's most prestigious award.

McCoy said his two awards Thursday night doesn't give him any indication how the Heisman race will play out.

"Who knows? All these awards are voted on by different groups of people," McCoy said. "I really don't pay attention to it. I try to stay away from that. You're going to hear good things and bad things, and I don't necessarily feel you need to hear either one of them."

While Tebow didn't win any awards on this night, the Florida star brought a little extra company.

Tebow brought 20-year-old Kelly Faughnan from Clifton, Va., as his "date." Just before Thanksgiving last year, Kelly was diagnosed with a brain tumor, her father Jim said. She had surgery last December.

Her wish was to go to Disney World during the awards show to get a glimpse of Tebow. The two met Wednesday night, and Tebow said he decided to bring her along to the show.

"I was really touched," Tebow said.

Cincinnati's Brian Kelly won the Coach of the Year award on the same day he told his team he was leaving for Notre Dame. Stanford's Toby Gerhart won the Doak Walker Award for the nation's best running back. Tennessee star Eric Berry accepted the Jim Thorpe Award honoring the best defensive back.

Notre Dame's Golden Tate won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver. UCLA's Kai Forbath took home the Lou Groza Award for the best kicker.

Georgia's Drew Butler won the Ray Guy Award honoring the nation's best punter. Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich has won the Disney Spirit Award given to college football's most inspirational figure. Herzlich overcame a rare form of bone cancer and is expected to return next season.

[Associated Press; By ANTONIO GONZALEZ]

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