The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well. Award recipients include College Football Hall of Fame inductees, O. J. Simpson, Mike Garrett, Jim Plunkett, Joe Kapp, Craig Morton, Billy Kilmer, and Anthony Davis.

History The trophy was named after German American entrepreneur William J. Voit (1881–1946), the founder of the W.J. Voit Rubber Company. In the 1950s and 1960s, a representative of the Voit organization presented the trophy at a banquet preceding the Rose Bowl game. (Trophy presented in 1961 by Voit Rubber vice president Mel Barton) (Voit president Willard Voit, son of the trophy's namesake, presented the 1952 trophy) (Voit national sales manager Mike Kelly and Rose Bowl Queen present 1959 trophy.) In 1969, a Los Angeles Times columnist wrote the following about the Voit Trophy tradition:"Jim Plunkett was in Pasadena Monday to receive the 19th Annual Voit Memorial Trophy, which goes to the Pacific Coast's top player. The trophy stands nearly as high as most men who receive it, but Plunkett dwarfed the thing. ... The Voit Trophy, though, is an accurate mirror of later success in professional ball. Three of the NFL's top quarterbacks -- Joe Kapp, Billy Kilmer and Craig Morton -- all won it, as did such other pro players as Mike Garrett, Gary Beban and O. J. Simpson. Since the award was instituted in 1951, only one winner has failed to play pro ball of some sort."

In addition to the notable NFL players to win the Voit Trophy, the runners-up in the Voit voting included such Hall of Fame players as John Brodie (Voit runner-up in 1956), Mel Renfro (Voit runner-up in 1963), and Hugh McElhenny (Voit runner-up in 1951).

Unlike the Pop Warner Trophy, awarded each year to the top senior football player on the West Coast, the Voit Trophy was open to underclassmen. Accordingly, three players received the Voit Trophy in multiple years. The multi-year winners of the award are USC Trojans running back Jon Arnett (1955 and 1956), Stanford Cardinal quarterback Jim Plunkett (1969 and 1970), and USC tailback Anthony Davis (1972 and 1974).

USC and Stanford athletes won the Voit Trophy more than those at any other school, with USC athletes taking the trophy nine times and Stanford athletes doing so six times.

In 1975, the Pac-10 Conference began awarding its own Player of the Year award, diminishing the significance of the Voit Trophy. The award of the trophy was discontinued shortly thereafter.

Recipients Recipients of the Voit Trophy are as follows:

Year Recipient Position School Points Runners-up Source 1951 Bill McColl End Stanford 31 Hugh McElhenny, Washington (27), Ollie Matson, USF (24) 1952 Jim Sears Halfback USC 53 Donn Moomaw, UCLA (45), Elmer Wilhoite, USC (20) 1953 Bobby Garrett Quarterback Stanford 78 Paul Cameron, UCLA (42), Paul Larson, QB, California (25) 1954 Paul Larson QB California 50 George Shaw, Oregon (41), Jack Ellena, UCLA (36) 1955 Jon Arnett Back USC (Willard Voit presented the 1955 award.) 1956 Jon Arnett Back USC 72 John Brodie, Stanford (55), John Witte, Oregon St. (27) 1957 Dick Wallen End UCLA 60 Bob Newman, Wash. St. (30), Joe Francis, Oregon St. (26) 1958 Joe Kapp Quarterback California 117 Dick Bass, College of the Pacific (36), Chris Burford, Oregon St. (19) 1959 Bob Schloredt Quarterback Washington 110 Chris Burford, Stanford (38) 1960 Billy Kilmer Tailback UCLA Roy McKasson, Washington, Marlin McKeever, USC 1961 Hugh Campbell Wide receiver Wash. St. 59 Terry Baker, Oregon St. (33), Bobby Smith, UCLA 1962 Terry Baker Quarterback Oregon St. 133 Hal Bedsole, USC (43) 1963 Vern Burke Split end Oregon St. 57 Mel Renfro, Oregon (45), Craig Morton, California (38) 1964 Craig Morton Quarterback California 96 Mike Garrett, USC (57), Bob Berry, Oregon (49) 1965 Mike Garrett Tailback USC 147 Gary Beban, UCLA (80), Ray Handley, Stanford (7) 1966 Pete Pifer Fullback Oregon St. 102 Gary Beban, UCLA (80), Mel Farr, UCLA (63) 1967 Gary Beban Quarterback UCLA 153 O. J. Simpson, USC (119), Bill Enyart, Oregon St. (7) 1968 O. J. Simpson Tailback USC 180 Bill Enyart, Oregon St. (55), Gene Washington, Stanford (30) 1969 Jim Plunkett Quarterback Stanford 128 Dennis Shaw, San Diego St. (54), Jimmy Gunn USC (17) 1970 Jim Plunkett Quarterback Stanford 158 Dennis Dummit, UCLA (49), Sonny Sixkiller, Washington (30) 1971 Don Bunce Quarterback Stanford 81 Bernard Jackson, Wash. St. (72), Jeff Siemon, Stanford (20) 1972 Anthony Davis Tailback USC 107 Charle Young, USC (32); Dan Fouts, Oregon (30) 1973 Kermit Johnson Halfback UCLA 1974 Anthony Davis Tailback USC 1975 Chuck Muncie Halfback California 109 John Sciarra, UCLA (49), Ricky Bell (44) 1976 Ricky Bell Tailback USC 120 Jeff Dankworth, UCLA (31), Duncan McColl, Stanford (27) 1977 Guy Benjamin Quarterback Stanford Warren Moon 1978 Charles White Tailback USC

See also Pop Warner Trophy

References