The Fred Biletnikoff Award is given by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, to the best wide receiver in American college football each year.
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. established the Fred Biletnikoff in 1994. It is given in memory of Fred Biletnikoff, a football player for the Oakland Raiders and Montreal Alouettes in professional leagues and Florida State University's collegiate program.
The award can be given to any NCAA Division I FBS player who successfully catches the football through a forward pass; however, every winner so far has been a wide receiver. The winner of the award is chosen by a national selection committee made up of more than 650 journalists, analysts, broadcasters, and former players. As of 2022, 320 scholarships totaling $4.8 million in benefits had been given out.
In December 2022, founding trustee Walter Manley II, a past chairman, and chairman Mark Ryan announced that a total of $10 million would be awarded by 2030.
Fred Biletnikoff Award’s History
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. established the award in 1994. Fred Biletnikoff, a former football player for the Oakland Raiders and Montreal Alouettes as well as a Florida State University college player, is honored with this award.
The Biletnikoff Award Trophy is a figure with an antique gold finish that stands 18 inches tall. The figure is set on a 12-inch-diameter, four-and-a-half-inch-thick polished marble base that is bronze metallic. The largest of all the college football position awards, the trophy weighs 56 pounds.
Over the course of a year, founding trustee Rocky Bevis oversaw the creative efforts of metallurgists, designers, and a renowned sculptor to create the magnificent trophy. Doak Campbell Stadium's University Center Club in Tallahassee, Florida, is home to the Biletnikoff Award Trophy. The trophy has received multiple national design excellence awards.
The 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award Winner
Marvin Harrison Jr became the first Ohio State Buckeyes receiver to win the Fred Biletnikoff Award since Terry Glenn in 1995. Harrison defeated Rome Odunze of Washington and Malik Nabers of LSU to win the honor.
Harrison had a remarkable junior season in 2023 with 1,211 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record, building on his sophomore season in 2022. Harrison Jr., the NFL Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison's son, was one of four players nominated for the 2023 Heisman Trophy and was named the Big Ten offensive player of the year.
Who is Fred Biletnikoff?
Former American football player and coach Frederick "Scarecrow" Biletnikoff was born on February 23, 1943. He spent fourteen seasons as a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders in both the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL), and he later served as the team's assistant coach.
Following the 1978 season, he announced his retirement from the NFL, and in 1980, he played one more season for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
During a time when teams prioritized running over passing, Biletnikoff had 10 straight seasons of 40 or more receptions, setting a league record. He also had 589 receptions for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns during his AFL and NFL careers.
Biletnikoff participated in Super Bowl XI, which he won over the Minnesota Vikings, and the second AFL-NFL World Championship game, which is retroactively known as Super Bowl II, both with the Raiders. In addition to playing in three AFL title games, five AFC championship games, and two AFL All-Star games, he was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
List of Fred Biletnikoff Award Winners, Year by Year
The entire list of Fred Biletnikoff Award winners are listed below:-
| Year | Winner | Team |
| 2023 | Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State |
| 2022 | Jalin Hyatt | Tennessee |
| 2021 | Jordan Addison | Pittsburgh |
| 2020 | DeVonta Smith | Alabama |
| 2019 | Ja'Marr Chase | LSU |
| 2018 | Jerry Jeudy | Alabama |
| 2017 | James Washington | Oklahoma State |
| 2016 | Dede Westbrook | Oklahoma |
| 2015 | Corey Coleman | Baylor |
| 2014 | Amari Cooper | Alabama |
| 2013 | Brandin Cooks | Oregon State |
| 2012 | Marqise Lee | USC |
| 2011 | Justin Blackmon | Oklahoma State |
| 2010 | ||
| 2009 | Golden Tate | Notre Dame |
| 2008 | Michael Crabtree | Texas Tech |
| 2007 | ||
| 2006 | Calvin Johnson | Georgia Tech |
| 2005 | Mike Hass | Oregon State |
| 2004 | Braylon Edwards | Michigan |
| 2003 | Larry Fitzgerald | Pittsburgh |
| 2002 | Charles Rogers | Michigan State |
| 2001 | Josh Reed | LSU |
| 2000 | Antonio Bryant | Pittsburgh |
| 1999 | Troy Walters | Stanford |
| 1998 | Troy Edwards | Louisiana Tech |
| 1997 | Randy Moss | Marshall |
| 1996 | Marcus Harris | Wyoming |
| 1995 | Terry Glenn | Ohio State |
| 1994 | Bobby Engram | Penn State |
FAQs on Fred Biletnikoff Award
A. The Fred Biletnikoff Award honors the best wide receiver in American college football annually.
A. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent non-profit organization, established the award in 1994.
A. Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2007 and 2008, and Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State won in 2010 and 2011.
A. The national selection committee of journalists, analysts, broadcasters, and former players selects the winner from NCAA Division I FBS players.
A. Marvin Harrison Jr., a junior wide receiver from Ohio State, won the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award.
A. Frederick "Scarecrow" Biletnikoff, a former NFL wide receiver and coach known for reliability and big catches, was inducted into both college and pro football halls of fame.
