Northwestern football player and graduate student Austin Carr is up for two national season awards. He’s a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which honors the nation’s greatest former walk-on. Much more importantly, the B1G’s leading receiver is one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s most Outstanding Receiver.
Here’s how he stacks up statistically (catches-yards-TDs) and the requisite ranks for each player:
Austin Carr, Northwestern (Gr.) 84 (13th nationally)-1,196-12 (t-12th)-14.2 yards per catch
Zay Jones, East Carolina (Sr.) 158 (1st nationally)-1,746 (1st nationally)-8, 11.1 yards per catch
Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma (RS Sr.) 70-1354 (6th nationally)-15 (t-4th), 19.3 yards per catch (13th nationally)
Note the Sooners still have one regular season game remaining, the “Bedlam” rivalry match against Oklahoma State. Thus, Westbrook has a chance to further pad his stats.
You’ll also notice one glaring omission- Western Michigan’s Corey Davis, who broke the all time NCAA career receiving yardage record last Friday night.
We’ll find out the winner when the award show airs on ESPN, Thursday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. ET, but Carr certainly faces some really stiff competition. Jones has the numbers, but of course he played against softer competition. Westbrook plays in a more pass-happy system and league, but like Carr he went against Power 5 competition and put up superior numbers.
It’s up to the voters how they’re going to go on this, and what the priorities are, but just in case they value personality, well-roundedness and character, then Austin Carr beats out everybody; at every position.
Northwestern football Coach Pat Fitzgerald on Austin Carr: “I think it starts with who he is as a person. He’s what you hope your sons turn out to be, great student, terrific human being, incredible attitude, and he’s a self-made guy. His work ethic is incredible and he went out and achieved it. I think he’s put himself in position to have one of those Hallmark moments in his life. I think it’s a great representation of how far we’ve come offensively from the beginning of the year.”
Carr is a true renaissance man- acting, singing, philosophizing, business man, and we talked all of these topics and much more in this exclusive interview with him. You have got to hear our exclusive with Austin Carr over at this link.
Northwestern Quarterback Clayton Thorson on playing alongside Austin Carr: “It’s awesome to play with him, just to see what he can do, he’s one of the best receivers in the country. Off the field he’s an even better person, it’s awesome to see him get all this recognition. He deserves it.”
NU running back Justin Jackson: “Austin Carr is a great guy, he took me under his wing. You guys don’t see how hard he’s worked before this year, couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.
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