FORT WORTH -- BYU junior quarterback Max Hall has been named to the 2008 Davey O' Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List. The Watch List spotlights 31 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) quarterbacks who will vie for the award honoring the nation's best quarterback for the 2008 football season.
In his first year as a starter in 2007, Hall put in the fourth best performance by a first-year quarterback at BYU to date and was the nation's top sophomore quarterback in terms of passing yards. On the season, the Mesa, Ariz., native completed 298-of-496 passes for 3,848 yards and 26 touchdowns.
With his performance, Hall led the Cougars to their second-straight Mountain West Conference title with an 11-2 record and a perfect 8-0 record against league opponents. Hall earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors as the league's top quarterback and help guide the Cougars to a Las Vegas Bowl victory over UCLA.
Three former BYU quarterbacks have won the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback award, including Jim McMahon, Steve Young and Ty Detmer (two times). Current Miami Dolphin quarterback John Beck was the most recent Cougar named to the Watch List.
Watch List candidates were selected by a subset of the National Selection Committee and approved by the Davey O'Brien Executive Committee. Semifinalists will be announced October 27; finalists November 24. This prestigious award focuses on accomplishments both on and off the field. The Selection Committee is asked to evaluate all candidates on their quarterback skills and athletic ability, academics, reputation as a team player, character, leadership and sportsmanship.
The 2008 winner will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN December 11. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.