On Thursday, Tim Tebow was named the recipient of the fifth annual Manning Award, which was created by Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning to recognize the top quarterback in college football. It is the only postseason college award that takes into consideration bowl performances. If other awards, like the Heisman, were awarded after the bowl games… Tebow might need a bigger trophy room.

“It’s a great award,” Tebow said on a teleconference Thursday afternoon. “It’s one of the best because it
takes in their bowl play, which is probably the biggest game of the year. They do the award after the season, and that’s something that really makes the award special. And it’s coming from the Mannings, who go down as some of the greatest quarterbacks in football history. It’s very special for me.”

“Tim is one of the greatest football players I’ve ever seen,” Archie Manning said. “He’s developed every year. He’s developed so much as a player, as a quarterback, as a passer. When you look at him as an overall
football player and his ability to lead his team, and will his team to win, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody do it better.”

Past winners of the award are Vince Young (Texas), Matt Leinart (Southern Cal), JaMarcus Russell (LSU) and Matt Ryan (Boston College).