For fourth year in a row, fans influence 10 percent of the award total; sparking renewed excitement, interest and engagement with their favorite players and schools
Jackson, Miss. - (November 28, 2016) – Jackson State defensive end Javancy Jones was the top vote getter and winner of the fan voting segment of the 2016 C Spire Conerly Trophy, which annually honors the top college football player in Mississippi, it was announced Monday.
Jones, a senior from Noxubee County, received 3,335 votes from fans, which counts for 10 percent of the award. Ole Miss senior tight end Evan Engram finished second with 2,862 votes and Mississippi State senior wide receiver Fred Ross was third with 1,995 votes. A panel of statewide sports media representatives decide the remaining 90 percent of the award.
Nearly 11,000 votes were cast for the 10 finalists from Magnolia state public colleges and universities via social media and text messaging during the week-long fan voting period sponsored by C Spire and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. This year’s overall winner will be announced at a special banquet Tuesday night in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Jones, who was also nominated for the award in 2015, led the Tigers in tackles, solo tackles and recorded 17.5 tackles for loss along with four sacks and one touchdown reception this season. Jones was the SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2013 and led the team in tackles as a sophomore and junior.
The other seven finalists who received fan votes were Alcorn State linebacker Darien Anderson, Mississippi Valley State quarterback Austin Bray, Millsaps defensive lineman Alex Foust, Belhaven quarterback Hunter McEachern, Mississippi College wide receiver Marcel Newson, Delta State running back Chris Robinson and Southern Miss running back Ito Smith.
Limited seating is still available for tomorrow night’s program at the Clarksdale Country Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. A 5:30 p.m. reception will be followed by the 6:30 p.m. dinner program and trophy presentation. Coaches and finalists are expected to attend. Tickets are $100 each. For more information, go to msfame.com or call 601.982.8264.
This is the fourth time in the award’s 21-year history that fan voting has been allowed for prestigious award. “We have some of the most passionate college football fans in the country and this gives them a way to have their voice heard in choosing Mississippi’s best college football player,” said Jim Richmond, vice president of Corporate Communications for C Spire.
Among past C Spire Conerly Trophy winners are such prominent former and active NFL standouts as two-time winners Dak Prescott and Eli Manning, Deuce McAllister, Jerious Norwood, Michael Boley, Patrick Willis and Anthony Dixon.
The award is named after the late Charlie Conerly – the only football inductee in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame who was an All-American at a Mississippi university, an NFL rookie of the year and NFL All-Pro member and quarterbacked a team to a world championship. C Spire has sponsored the outstanding player awards program for all major college sports since 1998.
About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class customer-inspired service and a superior comprehensive suite of customer-inspired wireless communications, high-speed Internet access and a range of other telecommunications products and services to consumers and businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at ww.twitter.com/cspire.
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