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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Manning Earns 2003 Maxwell Award
12/11/2003 | Football
Dec. 11, 2003
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Maxwell Football Club announced on the ESPN nationally televised College Football Awards Show Thursday night that Ole Miss senior quarterback Eli Manning, has been selected as the winner of the 67th Maxwell Award as the 2003 college player of the year.
In a three-way race, Manning received 311 first-place votes of the 1,167 votes cast. Second-place went to Pittsburgh sophomore wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald with 296 votes and third to Oklahoma senior quarterback Jason White with 273 votes. The remaining 287 votes were divided among 13 other nominees. Eli Manning's brother, Peyton, received the Maxwell Award in 1997 while attending Tennessee.
"I'm truly honored to win this award," Manning said. "A lot of great people have won the Maxwell. I was up against a tough crowd and Jason and Larry both deserved the award. I'm truly honored to receive this and happy to share it with my coaches and teammates."
Manning, who will be presented the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Friday for the nation's top senior quarterback, directed the Rebels to a 9-3 regular-season record and a share of the Southeastern Conference's West Division title. He has passed for 3,341 yards with 27 TDs and nine interceptions.
"We are all extremely proud and pleased for Eli," said Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe. "He is certainly deserving of this award, and I know that our coaches and his teammates are happy for him."
Eli Manning and Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald show off their trophies from the Home Depot College Award Show, Thursday, December 11, 2003.  | |
The New Orleans, La.-native currently leads the SEC in passing yards per game (278.4), completions (253) and total offense per game (276.0). He also ranks second in the conference in TD passes (27) and is third in completion percentage (61.7) and pass efficiency (147.5).
Manning will lead No. 16 Ole Miss into its first Cotton Bowl appearance since 1962 when the Rebels face No. 21 Oklahoma State (9-3) on Friday, January 2.
Votes for all the Maxwell College awards are NCAA head college football coaches, athletic directors and SIDs, members of the Maxwell Football Club and sports writers and sports casters from across the country.