The Background of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is one of the National College Football Awards Association's most prestigious prizes, given yearly to college football's best defensive back. The award, introduced in 1986, honors athletic ability, on-field performance and character.

The award’s namesake, Jim Thorpe, was an Oklahoma native who flourished in a variety of sports and won several awards, notably two Olympic gold medals in track and field. Thorpe was a punter, running back and placekicker throughout his football career, but it was as a defensive back that he excelled.

Ed Sossen, a former Oklahoma City talk show host, and W. Lynne Draper, former executive director of Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (previously known as the Jim Thorpe Association), came up with the idea of an award as a method to showcase Oklahoma in a positive light on a national level. Paycom Software, Inc. is an Oklahoma-based human resource and payroll technology firm that has sponsored the award since 2017.

The 2021 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award finalists

The three defensive backs picked as 2021 finalists were Verone McKinley III, from the University of Oregon (Pac-12); Coby Bryant, from the University of Cincinnati (AAC); and Jalen Pitre, from Baylor University (Big 12). Two power five conferences and one group of five conferences are represented among these finalists.

The Process

The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame compiles a watchlist based on preseason All-America rankings and prior performances. On the first Monday in November, a screening committee, comprised of Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame members, reviews the athletes on the watchlist and narrows the pool down to 10-15 semifinalists.

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee meets again to choose three finalists. The committee, which contains previous Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients; delegates from the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA); an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house awards committee; and college football journalists and sportswriters from across the country, usually chooses one of the three finalists as the recipient of the award.

The Home Depot College Football Awards Show, usually televised live from Atlanta, Georgia, on ESPN, reveals the winner from the three finalists, all of whom are required to attend the show. A few weeks after the live ESPN broadcast, the formal awarding of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award takes place at a ceremony in Oklahoma City.

Every year, previous winners and the reigning champion are welcomed back to celebrate. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Ceremony attracts over 800 guests, including numerous dignitaries and celebrities.

The winner of the 2021 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award

The University of Cincinnati's Coby Bryant was selected as the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award winner for 2021. This was the first time a defensive back from the University of Cincinnati won the award.

Besides being one of the Bearcats’ most consistent players in 2021, Bryant also started in 49 of his 62 career games. Bryant, a fantastic cornerback who has been consistent throughout the year, had 41 tackles, three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and three forced fumbles and defended 14 passes. Bryant is the second Bearcat to win a major national award and is one of the only two Jim Thorpe Award winners from an institution not in the Power 5.

Speaking to Abigail Ogle, KOCO 5 News anchor, Bryant mentioned how this award has made Oklahoma a special place in his heart. Bryant commended the local cuisine and said the city showed him nothing but love in his time there. He also congratulated all other attendees recognized at the event.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes