Stocco named OBrien Award semifinalist

MADISON, Wis. – John Stocco, senior quarterback for the Wisconsin football team, has been named one of 18 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien Award, which is presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback, the Davey O'Brien Foundation announced Tuesday.

Stocco, who did not appear on the organization's original summer "watch list," was a write-in candidate.

Stocco, a native of Richfield, Minn., owns a remarkable 28-7 (.800) record as Wisconsin's starting quarterback. He has started 35 consecutive games for the Badgers. Stocco currently leads the Big Ten (conference games) in pass efficiency and completion percentage. He ranks second all-time at Wisconsin in passing yards, attempts, completions, TD passes and pass efficiency.

The O'Brien Selection Committee, made up of a nationwide panel of sportswriters, commentators and former O'Brien Award winners, will vote later this month to narrow the field again. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 21 by the National College Football Awards Association in a joint effort among college football award programs.

The 18 semifinalists, in alphabetical order, are:

Erik Ainge, Tennessee, Jr., SEC

John Beck, BYU, Sr., MWC

John David Booty, USC, Jr., PAC-10

Colt Brennan, Hawai'i, Jr., WAC

Brian Brohm, Louisville, Jr., Big East

Chad Henne, Michigan, Jr., Big Ten

Kevin Kolb, Houston, Sr., C-USA

Chris Leak, Florida, Sr., SEC

Nate Longshore, California, So., PAC-10

Colt McCoy, Texas, Fr., Big 12

Tyler Palko, Pittsburgh, Sr., Big East

Brady Quinn, Notre Dame, Sr., Ind.

Bobby Reid, Oklahoma State, So., Big 12

JaMarcus Russell, LSU, Jr., SEC

Troy Smith, Ohio State, Sr., Big Ten

John Stocco, Wisconsin, Sr., Big Ten

Pat White, West Virginia, So., Big East

Jared Zabransky, Boise State, Sr., WAC

The winner of the 2006 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award will be announced on ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards Show scheduled for Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. EST. The show will air live from the Atlantic Dance Hall on The Boardwalk at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The winner will then be honored on Feb. 19, 2007, at the 30th annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, along with Paul Hornung, recipient of the 2006 Davey O'Brien Legends Award, and the O'Brien High School Scholarship Award winner.

Celebrating 30 years, the O'Brien Award is the oldest and most prestigious award in the country for college quarterbacks. The Davey O'Brien Foundation was established in 1977 to present the O'Brien Memorial Trophy, recognizing an outstanding college football player in the five southwestern states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. In 1981, the award was redirected to be national in scope but limited to quarterback, the favorite position of the award's namesake, Davey O'Brien. The award carries with it a $10,000 grant to the scholarship program of the university in which the winner is enrolled.