The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame announced today the 12 semifinalists for the 2020 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, awarded to the best defensive back in college football. The award is based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.
The dozen semifinalists on this year’s list represent six conferences and are selected by a screening committee. However, this list is not final and unlisted players who have outstanding seasons may be recognized as one of the three finalists.
The award recipient will be selected from the three finalists by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which boasts members of the NCFAA, an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients, sportswriters and college football journalists throughout the country. The three finalists will be announced Tuesday, Dec. 22, in conjunction with ESPN.
The 2020 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show Presented by Gildan, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, 7-8:30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award commemorative banquet is scheduled to be held Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Oklahoma City.
2020 PAYCOM JIM THORPE AWARD SEMIFINALISTS LIST
Bubba Bolden, Miami (FL), R-Junior
Jalen Catalon, Arkansas, R-Freshman
Kaiir Elam, Florida, Sophomore
Richie Grant, UCF, R-Senior
Allie Green IV, Tulsa, Senior
Shemar Jean-Charles, Appalachian State, Senior
Brandon Joseph, Northwestern, R-First Year
Trevon Moehrig, TCU, Junior
Tykee Smith, West Virginia, Sophomore
Patrick Surtain II, Alabama, Junior
Shaun Wade, Ohio State, Graduate
James Wiggins, Cincinnati, Senior
By Conference
AAC (3), ACC (1), BIG 10 (2), BIG 12 (2), SEC (3), Sun Belt (1)
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about this association.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is awarded to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The award was established in 1986 and is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, Jim Thorpe. Thorpe excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on the offensive side of the ball, but also stood out as a defensive back. In addition to his legendary performance on the football field, Thorpe played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is universally accepted as one of the nation's top collegiate sports honors.
Paycom Software, Inc. (“Paycom”) (NYSE:PAYC), a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, and the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame jointly announced in May 2017 an exclusive sponsorship of the Jim Thorpe Award. As a result, the accolade has been named the “Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.”
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Marketing Communications & Event Director
Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame
Home of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
