| Awarded for | The Most Outstanding Offensive or Defensive College Football Player of the Year |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | United Press International |
| History | |
| First award | 1950 |
| Final award | 1991 |
The United Press International (UPI) College Football Player of the Year Award was among the first and most recognized college football awards. With the second bankruptcy of UPI in 1991, along with that of its parent company, the award was discontinued. Offensive and defensive players were eligible. Unlike the Heisman, it was never affiliated with a civic organization or named after a player (like the Walter Camp Award). Like all UPI college awards at the time, it was based on the votes of NCAA coaches. Billy Cannon, O.J. Simpson, and Archie Griffin are the only two-time winners.[1][2][3]
Winners
| Year | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Vic Janowicz | Halfback | Ohio State |
| 1951 | Dick Kazmaier | Halfback | Princeton |
| 1952 | Billy Vessels | Halfback | Oklahoma |
| 1953 | Paul Giel | Halfback | Minnesota |
| 1954 | Alan Ameche | Fullback | Wisconsin |
| 1955 | Howard Cassady | Halfback | Ohio State |
| 1956 | Johnny Majors | Halfback | Tennessee |
| 1957 | John David Crow | Halfback | Texas A&M |
| 1958 | Billy Cannon | Halfback | LSU |
| 1959 | Billy Cannon (2) | Halfback | LSU |
| 1960 | Joe Bellino | Halfback | Navy |
| 1961 | Bob Ferguson | Fullback | Ohio State |
| 1962 | Terry Baker | Quarterback | Oregon State |
| 1963 | Roger Staubach | Quarterback | Navy |
| 1964 | John Huarte | Quarterback | Notre Dame |
| 1965 | Mike Garrett | Halfback | USC |
| 1966 | Steve Spurrier | Quarterback | Florida |
| 1967 | O. J. Simpson | Halfback | USC |
| 1968 | O. J. Simpson (2) | Halfback | USC |
| 1969 | Steve Owens | Halfback | Oklahoma |
| 1970 | Jim Plunkett | Quarterback | Stanford |
| 1971 | Ed Marinaro | Halfback | Cornell |
| 1972 | Johnny Rodgers | Wide receiver | Nebraska |
| 1973 | John Cappelletti | Halfback | Penn State |
| 1974 | Archie Griffin | Halfback | Ohio State |
| 1975 | Archie Griffin (2) | Halfback | Ohio State |
| 1976 | Tony Dorsett | Halfback | Pittsburgh |
| 1977 | Earl Campbell | Halfback | Texas |
| 1978 | Billy Sims | Halfback | Oklahoma |
| 1979 | Charles White | Halfback | USC |
| 1980 | Hugh Green | Defensive end | Pittsburgh |
| 1981 | Marcus Allen | Running back | USC |
| 1982 | Herschel Walker | Running back | Georgia |
| 1983 | Mike Rozier | Running back | Nebraska |
| 1984 | Doug Flutie | Quarterback | Boston College |
| 1985 | Bo Jackson | Running back | Auburn |
| 1986 | Vinny Testaverde | Quarterback | Miami (FL) |
| 1987 | Tim Brown | Wide receiver | Notre Dame |
| 1988 | Barry Sanders | Running back | Oklahoma State |
| 1989 | Andre Ware | Quarterback | Houston |
| 1990 | Ty Detmer | Quarterback | BYU |
| 1991 | Desmond Howard | Wide receiver | Michigan |
References
- Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1962.
- Deseret News, December 18, 1990
- Deseret News, December 18, 1991