Here is video from ESPN of Malcolm Jenkins winning the Thorpe Award Thursday night:
Malcolm Jenkins became the second Ohio State player to win the Jim Thorpe Award, which was handed out Thursday evening at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards show in Orlando.
The only other OSU player to win the Thorpe Award – given annually to the nation’s best defensive back – was cornerback Antonie Winfield in 1998.
Jenkins, a senior cornerback, was selected ahead of two other finalists: USC junior safety Taylor Mays and Tennessee sophomore safety Eric Berry.
The 6-1, 202-pound Jenkins is a three-time, first-team All-Big Ten selection. He was also named first-team All-American this season by the Football Coaches Association of America. The Associated Press team will be released later this month.
As a senior in 2008, Jenkins finished the regular season with 54 tackles (32 solo), three interceptions, nine pass break-ups, three forced fumbles, two blocked punts, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack. He is expected to be a top 10 pick and the first cornerback selected in the 2009 NFL Draft.
When Jenkins was announced as the winner, he hugged his parents (Lee and Gwendolyn), then embraced OSU linebacker James Laurinaitis, before joining ESPN’s Chris Fowler on the stage.
“To be honored like this – and especially when we had some other great finalists – it’s an honor to be thought of as the best,” Jenkins said.
The No. 10 Buckeyes (10-2) will play No. 3 Texas (11-1) in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 5 and UT quarterback Colt McCoy was also in attendance on Thursday. Fowler asked Jenkins if he was sending any playful trash talk McCoy’s way.
“Well, I’m two rows back, so he probably wouldn’t be able to hear me,” Jenkins said. “But I know James (sitting directly behind McCoy) is probably saying something to him.”
Fowler told Jenkins that no one is giving Ohio State much of a chance to win against a good Longhorn team known for their offensive firepower.
“Oh yeah, we’ve heard that plenty of times,” Jenkins said. “We’re happy to be at the Fiesta Bowl once again and it’s exciting to play a team as good as they are.”
Entering the season, Jenkins told reporters that winning the Thorpe was one of his goals for his last go-around in college football. And last Sunday following the BCS Selection Show, Jenkins talked about what it would mean to him if he won the award.
“Yeah, I’m excited because I feel being a finalist is an accomplishment in itself,” Jenkins said. “I can’t really control how it’s voted on, so I’m just sitting back waiting for the verdict. If I win, that’s great. But if not, at least I was a finalist and was considered. Right now, I’m just focused on getting ready for Texas.”
Jenkins also gave a statement about winning the Thorpe Award through Ohio State’s sports information department on Thursday night.
“Well, when they announced the award winner, first I was surprised and then a sigh of relief,” he said. “It’s really nerve-wracking to sit there through the whole show because our award was one of the last ones announced. And those were not just two fantastic players who were the other finalists, but really nice guys as well.
“It’s just an incredible honor, because of guys like Antoine Winfield who have won this award in the past, and also because of Jim Thorpe, who was one of a kind and a pioneer in history. I work every day to improve as a player and when I came back for my senior season, the chance to be a part of an award like this was one of the dreams I had. Thanks to my coaches and teammates, I have been blessed to get that opportunity. I take pride in my work as a football player and this is truly an honor.
“This whole award trip has been an excellent experience, to visit with so many of the other great players and to be able to share this with my parents and my high school coach who came down to be with me. And thanks to everybody who is trying to congratulate me – I got so many texts on my phone during the show that I had to start deleting pictures and stuff so I would have room for the texts.”
* Laurinaitis was a finalist for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s best defensive player. However, that honor went to USC linebacker Rey Maualuga. Laurinaitis won the 2006 Bronco Nagurski Award and the 2007 Butkus Award, but could get shut out of the major awards this season. His last chance is the Lott Trophy which will be handed out Saturday evening in Orange County, Calif. The other finalists are Aaron Curry of Wake Forest, Brian Orakpo of Texas and Myron Rolle of Florida State.
* As for Winfield, Jenkins is joining some very good company. Winfield is the only defensive back in school history to be voted team MVP (1997) and the only cornerback in school history to lead the team in tackles (100 in 1997). As a senior in 1998, teams avoided Winfield and he finished the season with 75 tackles and without an interception. But the fact that he won the Thorpe Award without getting a single pick shows how well-respected of a player Winfield was.
Winfield is currently one of the top corners in the NFL and is a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
