Terrelle Pryor, the 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, led the Big Ten with a pass efficiency rating of 151.3 in conference games last season, making him the first freshman to top the conference in the category since the stat was introduced in 1980.

FORT WORTH, Texas (August 3, 2009) - The Davey O'Brien Foundation and its National Selection Committee are pleased to announce the 2009 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) Watch List.
 
The 2009 list highlights 33 quarterbacks who will compete for the award honoring the nation's best quarterback; however, all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) starting quarterbacks are equal candidates at this time. Watch List candidates were selected by a subset of The O'Brien Selection Committee. The list focuses on a select group of quarterbacks who have demonstrated what members of the Selection Committee have recognized as tremendous preseason talent. The award focuses on accomplishments both on and off the field.
 
The O'Brien will follow performances of all FBS quarterbacks until Semifinalists are selected in late October. Semifinalists will be announced October 26; Finalists November 23; and the Winner December 10. During all rounds of voting, The O'Brien Selection Committee is asked to evaluate each candidate on the criteria of quarterback skills and athletic ability, academics, reputation as a team player, character, leadership and sportsmanship.
 
Today marked the first time in the award's history the Watch List was announced on ESPN's College Football Live. The 2009 O'Brien Winner will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show airing on ESPN December 10. The recipient will be honored February 15, 2010 at the 33rd Annual O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
 
2009 O'Brien Watch List:

About the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award (The O'Brien) honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. Founded in 1981, The O'Brien seeks to honor candidates who exemplify Davey O'Brien's enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership and character in both the athletic and academic arenas. Honorees are voted on by a national selection committee comprised of journalists, broadcasters, commentators and former winners. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $790,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.    
 
National College Football Awards Association
The O'Brien is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association's official Web site, www.NCFAA.org.