Previous Announcements:

· 24 Finalists Announced for The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 11

· Presenters for The Home Depot College Football Awards Announced; NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award to be Presented to Grant Teaff

Nick O’Leary of Florida State Wins The John Mackey Award

The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award will be presented to TCU’s Gary Patterson as a part of The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN. Patterson led the Horned Frogs to an 11-1 season and the Big 12 co-championship title. In addition, The John Mackey Award will also recognize Nick O’Leary of Florida State as outstanding tight end during The Red Carpet Special at The Home Depot College Football Awards.

With Patterson at the helm, TCU – picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 by the media during the preseason – captured a share of the title in just its third year in the conference. In his 14 full seasons as head coach, Patterson has led TCU to nine 10-win seasons including this year. The Horned Frogs had just four 10-win seasons prior to him taking over. He is the winningest head coach in TCU history (131-45). The No. 6 Horned Frogs will face No. 9 Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, 2014 at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN.

O’Leary, a senior from Florida State University, has been named the country’s outstanding tight end by the Friends of John Mackey, becoming the first winner from FSU. This marks the fifth occasion in Mackey Award history where the award recipient was a finalist the season prior. He will be presented with The John Mackey Award during The Red Carpet Special at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

In his four years playing at Florida State, O’Leary has established a reputation for his elite blocking ability and strong receiving prowess and 2014 was another outstanding year for him. The senior recorded 47 receptions for 614 yards & seven touchdowns and his outstanding blocking helped Florida State average 34.8 points and 434.7 yards of total offense. Nick will now lead his team to the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual and a shot at the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The John Mackey Award, celebrating its 15th anniversary, is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame Tight End John Mackey.

The Rimington Trophy (outstanding center) will also be presented during The Red Carpet Special at The Home Depot College Football Awards. Jack Allen (Michigan State), David Andrews (Georgia), Reese Dismukes (Auburn), B.J. Finney (Kansas State), Andy Gallik (Boston College) and Hroniss Grasu (Oregon) were named finalists on Monday. Additionally, the William V. Campbell Trophy (Academic Success) will be recognized during the show. The 17 finalist for the Campbell Trophy were announced on Oct. 30.

The 24th annual awards show will feature with the live presentation of:

Nine National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) player awards

The NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award to Grant Teaff

The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award to Gary Patterson

The Disney Spirit Award to Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops and Sterling Shepard

Student-athletes selected to the Walter Camp All-America Team and The Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams®

A live Twitter vote will allow fans to determine the college football Play of the Year. The four top plays to pick from at ESPN.com include Nebraska’s Jordan Westerkamp’s Behind-the-Back Catch, LSU’s Leonard Fournette’s Monster Run, Kansas’ Nigel King’s Circus Catch and Arkansas’ Sebastian Tretola’s Perfect Pass. Viewers can vote during the show by tweeting using #PlayOfTheYear and the school name.

Full details on this year’s presenters, finalists and the entire day of college football awards programming.

National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA)

The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.

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