LSU's Jayden Daniels named SEC Male Athlete of the Year
BATON ROUGE – LSU’s Heisman Trophy quarterback Jayden Daniels added another prestigious award to his resume as he was named the 2023-2024 Roy F. Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year by a vote of the league's athletics directors, Commissioner Greg Sankey announced today.
It’s the second straight year an LSU athlete has claimed the award as Daniels follows Dylan Crews, who won the honor last year after leading the Tigers to the national title. Daniels joins Joe Burrow (football, 2020), Susan Jackson (gymnastics, 2010), Xavier Carter (track and field, 2006), Seimone Augustus (women’s basketball, 2006), Walter Davis (track and field, 2002), and Shaquille O’Neal (basketball, 1991 and 1992) as past LSU winners of the award.
Florida distance runner Parker Valby was named the SEC Female Athlete of the Year.
"The SEC is pleased to honor Parker and Jayden as this year’s Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “It takes an exceptional level of discipline and commitment to achieve at highest level of competition, a level that has been reached by Parker and Jayden with the consistency necessary to be called the best of the best. These young people are great examples of what it means to be a student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference.”
The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels is the only player in FBS history to rush for 200 yards and pass for 350 yards in a game (vs. Florida), setting the SEC mark for total offense with 606 total yards (234 rush,372 pass) in the win over the Gators.
The consensus All-America was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Year, the Associated Press Player of the Year and Sporting News Player of the Year. In addition, he won the Davey O’Brien, Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards.
He led the nation in total offense (412.2), points responsible/game (25.2), passer rating (208.0), yards per attempt (11.7), rushing yards by QB (1,134), and yards per play (10.71). He ranked No. 3 nationally in TD passes (40), passing yards (3,812) and passing yards/game (317.7). His passer rating of 208.0 is the highest in FBS history.
Daniels’ 412.2 yards of total offense broke the SEC mark of 402.6 (Joe Burrow, 2019) and he tied the SEC record for total TDs with 8 vs. Georgia State. For the season, he completed 236-of-327 passes for 3,812 yards, 40 TDs and only 4 interceptions. He added 10 rushing TDs to become only the fifth player in league history to account for 50 touchdowns in a season.
In 2023, Daniels joined Johnny Manziel as the only players in SEC history to pass for 3,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.
Daniels is the only player in FBS history to pass for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in a career. Daniels capped his collegiate career with 12,749 passing yards and 3,307 rushing yards.
Daniels capped his LSU career by being selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.
Parker Valby is the first female distance runner in NCAA history to win five NCAA individual titles in a single season – all in at least meet record times. She had meet records for the NCAA 3,000m indoors and 10,000m outdoors – both with five-second winning margins.
She lowered her collegiate 5,000m record set with her win of the 2024 NCAA Indoor title by claiming the NCAA Outdoor title. She started her 2023-24 national title streak by being first to win the NCAA Cross Country in sub-19 minute time. She also lowered the collegiate 10,000m record by almost 28 seconds in April’s Clay Invitational.
She was named the USTFCCA 2023 cross country and 2024 Indoor National Athlete of the Year, while also winning the 2023 Honda Award for cross country. She is also an USTFCCCA All-Academic and SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
The six-time SEC Champion and eight-time USTFCCCA All-American won all 14 races competed in 2023-24 season and holds three collegiate records (Indoor 5,000m, outdoor 5,000m, outdoor 10,000m).
The 2023 SEC Cross Country Runner of the Year, 2024 SEC Indoor Runner of the Year and 2024 SEC Outdoor Runner of the Year helped Florida to runner-up finishes at both the 2024 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor meets.
The other male nominees were Mark Sears, Alabama (basketball); Hagen Smith, Arkansas (baseball); Jackson Koivun, Auburn (golf); Josh Liendo, Florida (swimming & diving); Charlie Condon, Georgia (baseball); Keaton Daniel, Kentucky (track & field); Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan, Ole Miss (track & field); Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State (basketball); Cody Schrader, Missouri (football); Xavier Legette, South Carolina (football); Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (basketball); Evan Aschenbeck, Texas A&M (baseball); Gordon Sargent, Vanderbilt (golf).
The other female nominees were Doris Lemngole, Alabama (track & field); Nickisha Pryce, Arkansas (track & field); Maddie Penta, Auburn (softball); Sophie Fischer, Georgia (volleyball); Raena Worley, Kentucky (gymnastics); Haleigh Bryant, LSU (gymnastics); McKenzie Long, Ole Miss (track & field); Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mississippi State (golf); Jocelyn Moore, Missouri (gymnastics); Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina (basketball); Kiki Milloy, Tennessee (softball); Mary Stoiana, Texas A&M (tennis); Veronica Fraley, Vanderbilt (track & field).
The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The award was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former Commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.
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