- Melberger Award
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Melberger Award Awarded for outstanding U.S. college football player in Division III Presented by Diversified Information Technologies Country United States First awarded 1993 Currently held by Ben McLaughlin, Louisiana College The Melberger Award is given annually to an outstanding U.S. college football player in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The award is named after Clifford Melberger and is presented by Diversified Information Technologies, which Mr. Melberger leads as president.
The Melberger is one of two awards given to Division III football players, the other being the better-known Gagliardi Trophy. The focus of the two awards has historically been slightly different. The Gagliardi factors in community service, academics, and athletics; the Melberger is, at least theoretically, presented to the best athlete. In recent years the Melberger has fallen into disfavor due to poor publicity and coordination by the firm which now sponsors the award. From the period 2002–2004, the award was given not to the nation's most outstanding Division III football players, but to the player in the local region who could attend (at their own cost) the awards ceremony in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. This resulted in the award being given to players who would often struggle to make an all-region team, let alone be named the best player in the country. Prior to 2002, the Melberger Award was funded and supported by the Wilkes-Barre Touchdown Club.
Winners
Year Winner School 1993 Jim Ballard Mount Union 1994 Carey Bender Coe 1995 Craig Kusick, Jr. Wisconsin–La Crosse 1996 Bill Borchert Mount Union 1997 Bill Borchert (2) Mount Union 1998 Mike Burton Trinity (TX) 1999 Scott Pingel Westminster (MO) 2000 R. J. Bowers Grove City 2001 Chuck Moore Mount Union 2002 Daniel Pincelli Hartwick 2003 Brett Trichilo Wilkes 2004 Brett Trichilo (2) Wilkes 2005 Brett Elliott Linfield 2006 Chris Sharpe Springfield 2007 Jason Boltus Hartwick 2008 Nate Kmic Mount Union 2009 Alex Tanney Monmouth 2010 Ben McLaughlin Louisiana Melberger Award winners College football awards Overall trophies Overall media awards AP Player of the Year (1998) • SN Player of the Year (1942)Positional awards Bronko Nagurski Trophy (Defenseman) • Chuck Bednarik Award (Defenseman) • Dave Rimington Trophy (Center) • Davey O'Brien Award (Quarterback) • Dick Butkus Award (Linebacker) • Doak Walker Award (Running back) • Fred Biletnikoff Award (Wide receiver) • Jim Thorpe Award (Defensive back) • John Mackey Award (Tight end) • Lombardi Award (Lineman/linebacker) • Lott Trophy (Defenseman) • Lou Groza Award (Placekicker) • Manning Award (Quarterback) • Outland Trophy (Interior lineman) • Ray Guy Award (Punter) • Ted Hendricks Award (Defensive end)Other national player awards Chic Harley Award (Best player) • Archie Griffin Award (Best player) • Bill Willis Trophy (Defensive lineman) • Jack Lambert Trophy (Linebacker) • Jack Tatum Trophy (Defensive back) • Jim Brown Trophy (Running back) • Jim Parker Trophy (Offensive lineman) • Paul Hornung Award (Most versatile) • Sammy Baugh Trophy (Quarterback) • Paul Warfield Trophy (Wide receiver) • Johnny Unitas Award (Senior quarterback)All-Americans Head coaching awards AFCA Coach of the Year (1935) • Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1957) • SN Coach of the Year (1963) • Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1967) • Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year (1976) • Woody Hayes Trophy (1977) • Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1986) • Home Depot Coach of the Year (1994) • AP Coach of the Year (1998) • Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award (2006) • Bobby Bowden Coach of the Year Award (2009) • Joseph V. Paterno Award (2010) (formerly the George Munger Award (1989))Assistant coaching awards Broyles Award (Assistant Coach of the Year) • AFCA Assistant Coach of the YearConference awards ACC awards • Big 12 awards • Big East awards • Big Ten awards (MVP) • MAC awards • Pac-12 awards • SEC awards • Defunct: SWC awardsDivision I FCS awards Walter Payton Award (Div. I FCS offensive player) • Buck Buchanan Award (Div. I FCS defenseman) • Jerry Rice Award (Div. I FCS freshman) • Eddie Robinson Award (Div. I FCS coach)Other divisions/associations Harlon Hill Trophy (Div. II) • Gagliardi Trophy (Div. III) • Melberger Award (Div. III) • Rawlings Award (NAIA)Academic, inspirational,
and versatility awardsAcademic All-America of the Year (Student-athlete) • Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award • William V. Campbell Trophy (Student-athlete) • Wuerffel Trophy (Humanitarian-athlete) • Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (Student-athlete) • Burlsworth Trophy (Walk-on) • Rudy Award (inspirational/motivational)Service awards Regional awards Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award (New England Sportsmanship)Halls of fame Categories:- College football awards
- Awards established in 1993
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