Alabama Crimson Tide Quarterback Mac Jones has won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for the nation’s best college football quarterback set to graduate with his class.
Jones’ selection was announced on Monday by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Education Foundation, the organization that oversees the award.
The Golden Arm Award is among several notable of several honors Jones earned with his performance on the field in 2020, including selection as an All American by the Associated Press, ESPN.com, Pro Football Focus, The Sporting News and USA Today.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the presentation of the award will be conducted virtually and released on Thursday, January 7.
Alabama’s quarterback is also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy for college football’s best player, though his teammate DeVonta Smith is the favorite to take home that honor.
Jones threw for 4,036 yards over the season, good for an average of 336.8 per game. His 77.0 completion percentage led the NCAA and he set a school record by having four games where he threw for over 400 yards.
On-field play is not the only factor in deciding the Golden Arm Award, per a release from its governing foundation. The voters also factor in “character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game.”
The selection committee for the Golden Arm Award is composed of “a group of prominent football journalists, former coaches and players, general managers, commentators, announcers, and other former award recipients.”
Jones is the third Crimson Tide quarterback to earn the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, after AJ McCarron in 2013 and Jay Barker in 1994.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
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