Watch List candidates were selected by a subset of The O'Brien Selection Committee. The list focuses on a select group of quarterbacks who have demonstrated what members of the Selection Committee have recognized as tremendous preseason talent. The award focuses on accomplishments both on and off the field.
The O'Brien will follow performances of all FBS quarterbacks until Semifinalists are selected in late October. Semifinalists will be announced October 26; finalists November 23; and the winner December 10. During all rounds of voting, The O'Brien Selection Committee is asked to evaluate each candidate on the criteria of quarterback skills and athletic ability, academics, reputation as a team player, character, leadership and sportsmanship.
The 2009 O'Brien Winner will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show airing on ESPN December 10. The recipient will be honored February 15, 2010 at the 33rd Annual O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Two other Big East quarterbacks, Matt Grothe of South Florida and Tony Pike of Cincinnati, are also on the list.
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award (The O'Brien) honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. Founded in 1981, The O'Brien seeks to honor candidates who exemplify Davey O'Brien's enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership and character in both the athletic and academic arenas. Honorees are voted on by a national selection committee comprised of journalists, broadcasters, commentators and former winners.
The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $790,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.