Conerly Trophy


The Conerly Trophy or Cellular South Conerly Trophy or C Spire Conerly Trophy is an award given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Voting

Sixty media representatives from across Mississippi determine the Trophy recipient. All players at Mississippi's four-year college football programs are eligible on the first ballot. Previously, the top three vote-getters were listed on a second and final ballot, but starting with the 2011 award, each of the four-year colleges and universities in Mississippi that field football teams are represented by one finalist. In 2013, fans were allowed to vote on the award for the first time. Fan voting accounted for 10 percent of the total vote.
Voters are instructed to evaluate a player's entire regular season performance and ignore post-season honors or professional potential.

The trophy

The Conerly Trophy is a bronze casting, 19" high x 11" long x 7.5" wide, weighing 18.5 lbs.. The trophy was sculpted by Bruce Holmes Brady, a Brookhaven, Mississippi native and graduate of the University of Mississippi. The original trophy is on permanent display at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. A replica of the trophy is presented to the winner each year at the announcement dinner.

History

The award was begun in 1996 and has been sponsored by C Spire Wireless, formerly known as Cellular South, since 1998. Previous presentations have been held in Jackson, Clarksdale, Tunica and Biloxi. The namesake of the award is Mississippi-born Charlie Conerly who also starred as quarterback at the University of Mississippi, and was later a star for the New York Giants.

Winners and finalists

YearWinnerPosSchoolRefOther Finalists
1996Tregnel ThomasRBDelta State Statesmen football|Marchant Kenney, LB, Southern Miss
Kris Mangum, TE, Ole Miss
1997Stewart PatridgeQBOle Miss Rebels football|John Avery, RB, Ole Miss
Patrick Surtain, CB, Southern Miss
1998J. J. JohnsonRBMississippi State Bulldogs football|Rufus French, TE, Ole Miss
Sherrod Gideon, WR, Southern Miss
1999Deuce McAllisterRBOle Miss Rebels football|Ashley Cooper, S, Mississippi State
Adalius Thomas, LB, Southern Miss
2000Josh BrightQBDelta State Statesmen football|Dicenzo Miller, RB, Mississippi State
Fred Smoot, CB, Mississippi State
2001Eli ManningQBOle Miss Rebels football|Robert Kent, QB, Jackson State
T.C. Taylor, WR, Jackson State
2002Rod DavisLBSouthern Miss Golden Eagles football|Robert Kent, QB, Jackson State
Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss
2003Eli ManningQBOle Miss Rebels football|Rod Davis, LB, Southern Miss
Scott Eyster, QB, Delta State
2004Michael BoleyLBSouthern Miss Golden Eagles football|Scott Eyster, QB, Delta State
Jerious Norwood, RB, Mississippi State
2005Jerious NorwoodRBMississippi State Bulldogs football|Scott Eyster, QB, Delta State
Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss
2006Patrick WillisLBOle Miss Rebels football|Scott Eyster, QB, Delta State
Damion Fletcher, RB, Southern Miss
2007Damion FletcherRBSouthern Miss Golden Eagles football|Titus Brown, DE, Mississippi State
Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State
2008Juan JosephQBMillsaps Majors football|Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
Michael Oher, OT Ole Miss
2009Anthony DixonRBMississippi State Bulldogs football|Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Ole Miss
Adam Shaffer, QB, Mississippi College
2010Chris WhiteLBMississippi State Bulldogs football|Austin Davis, QB, Southern Miss
Casey Therriault, QB, Jackson State
2011Austin DavisQBSouthern Miss Golden Eagles football|Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
Paul Cox, WR, Mississippi Valley State
Jarrad Craine, CB, Mississippi College
Micah Davis, QB, Delta State
Justin Gaines, RB, Belhaven
Terrence Lewis, WR/PR, Alcorn State
Jason O'Rear, WR, Millsaps
Charles Sawyer, S/CB, Ole Miss
Casey Therriault, QB, Jackson State
2012Bo WallaceQBOle Miss Rebels football|Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
Cornelius Brown, OT, Alcorn State
Jamie Collins, DE, Southern Miss
Kendall Hunter, OT, Delta State
Garrett Pinciotti, QB, Millsaps
Rico Richardson, WR, Jackson State
Robert Simpson, DT, Mississippi Valley State
Keith Villafranco, S, Mississippi College
Isiah Wiley, CB/KR, Belhaven
2013Gabe JacksonGMississippi State Bulldogs football|Mike Barthelemy, RB, Millsaps
Avery Boykin, CB, Mississippi Valley State
Matt Hall, OT, Belhaven
Ricky Hunt, WR, Delta State
Clayton Moore, QB, Jackson State
Jonathan Redd, QB, Mississippi College
Khyri Thornton, DT, Southern Miss
Arnold Walker, RB, Alcorn State
Bo Wallace, QB, Ole Miss
2014Dak PrescottQBMississippi State Bulldogs football|Zach Bell, DE, Millsaps
John Gibbs Jr., QB, Alcorn State
Senquez Golson, CB, Ole Miss
Dylan Klibert, S, Mississippi College
Greg Livingston, WR, Belhaven
Dasman McCullum, DE, Southern Miss
Julian Stafford, WR, Mississippi Valley State
Tyler Sullivan, QB, Delta State
Daniel Williams, WR, Jackson State
2015Dak PrescottQBMississippi State Bulldogs football|Marquis Green, S, Mississippi Valley State
Javancy Jones, DE, Jackson State
Nick Mullens, QB, Southern Miss
Marcel Newsome, WR, Mississippi College
Darryan Ragsdale, RB, Alcorn State
Hector Sandoval, LB, Millsaps
Isaiah Swopes, CB, Belhaven
Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
Jarvis York, WR, Delta State
2016Evan EngramTEOle Miss Rebels football|Darien Anderson, LB, Alcorn State
Austin Bray, QB, Mississippi Valley State
Alex Foust, DT, Millsaps
Javancy Jones, DE, Jackson State
Hunter McEachern, QB, Belhaven
Marcel Newsome, WR, Mississippi College
Chris Robinson, RB, Delta State
Fred Ross, WR, Mississippi State
Ito Smith, RB, Southern Miss
2017A. J. BrownWROle Miss Rebels football|De'Lance Turner, RB, Alcorn State
Shawn Bishop, LB, Jackson State
Mark Pegues, DB, Mississippi Valley State
Chris Robinson, RB, Delta State
Hunter McEachern, QB, Belhaven
Jacob Kendall, LB, Millsaps
Chris Manning, DB, Mississippi College
Nick Fitzgerald, QB, Mississippi State
Ito Smith, RB, Southern Miss
2018Jeffery SimmonsDLMississippi State Bulldogs football|Noah Johnson, QB, Alcorn State
Christian Jacquemin, K, Jackson State
Booker Chambers, WR, Mississippi Valley State
Patrick Shegog, QB, Delta State
Dennarrios Noel, LB, Belhaven
Chandler Coleman, LB, Millsaps
Tiberias Lampkin, RB, Mississippi College
A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
Quez Watkins, WR, Southern Miss
2019Kylin HillRBMississippi State Bulldogs football|Felix Harper, QB, Alcorn State
Keonte Hampton, LB, Jackson State
Tracy Thompkins, DB, Mississippi Valley State
Junior Faulk, DB, Delta State
Hunter McEachern, QB, Belhaven
Liam Vincfora, DL, Millsaps
Detric Hawthorn, QB, Mississippi College
John Rhys Plumlee, QB, Ole Miss
Jack Abraham, QB, Southern Miss

Kent Hull Trophy

Starting in 2013, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame began awarding a second award, the Kent Hull Trophy, for the best college offensive lineman in Mississippi.
YearWinnerPosSchoolRef
2013Gabe JacksonGMississippi State Bulldogs football|
2014Laremy TunsilTOle Miss Rebels football|
2015Fahn CooperTOle Miss Rebels football|
2016Justin SeniorTMississippi State Bulldogs football|
2017Martinas RankinTMississippi State Bulldogs football|
2018Elgton JenkinsCMississippi State Bulldogs football|
2019Drake DorbeckTSouthern Miss Golden Eagles football|

Trophies won by school