TITLE: The official title is the Conerly Trophy.

PURPOSE: To impartially select Mississippi's top college football player for the regular season.

ELIGIBILITY: All players at all of Mississippi's four-year college football programs are eligible regardless of school size, team record, position played or class standing.

VOTERS:  Media representatives from across Mississippi affiliated with radio, television and print outlets in small, medium and large markets determine the Conerly Trophy recipient; all players are eligible on the first ballot with only the top vote-getters from each school listed in a second and final ballot. PLEASE NOTE: Voters will rank the three players on their second round ballots in order of preference: the top player listed on your ballot will receive 3 points, #2 will receive two points and #3 1 point.

VOTING CRITERIA:  Voters should evaluate a players’ entire regular season performance and should not consider post-season honors or professional potential.

NAME:  The Conerly Trophy is named after the late Charlie Conerly who is the only football inductee in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame who combines all of the following accomplishments: native Mississippian who was an All-American at a Mississippi university; NFL rookie of the year; NFL All-Pro who quarterbacked a team to a world championship.

THE TROPHY: Sculpted by the late Bruce Braddy, a nationally-acclaimed sculptor from Brookhaven, MS; the Conerly Trophy is a lost-wax bronze casting of an original clay sculpture by Mr. Braddy; 19" high x 11" long x 7.5" wide; weighs 18.5 lbs.; the original trophy is on permanent display at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum; an exact replica of the trophy is presented to the winner each year at the announcement dinner.

HISTORY: The award was begun in 1996.

The Conerly Trophy in college football, the Howell Trophy in men’s college basketball; the Gillom Trophy in women's college basketball; and the Ferriss Trophy in college baseball constitute the four elements of the Outstanding Player Awards series.

CONERLY TROPHY PAST WINNERS & PRESENTERS:
1996 Tregnel Thomas RB/DSU
Jack Kemp
1997 Stewart Patridge QB/Ole Miss Frank Gifford
1998 James Johnson RB/MSU
Tom Landry
1999 Deuce McAllister RB/Ole Miss
Pat Summerall
2000 Josh Bright QB/Delta State University-Frank Gifford
2001 Eli Manning QB/Ole Miss
Bart Starr
2002 Rod Davis LB/USM
Danny White
2003 Eli Manning QB/Ole Miss
Spencer Tillman
2004 Michael Boley LB/USM-No Presenter: Live TV
2005 Jerious Norwood RB/MSU-No Presenter: Live TV
2006  Patrick Willis LB/OM-No Presenter: Live TV
2007 Damion Fletcher RB/USM
Presenter: Hugh Green
2008 Juan Joseph QB/Millsaps
2009 Anthony Dixon RB/MSU
2010 Chris White/MSU

CONERLY TROPHY FINALISTS (1996-Present)
1996: *Tregnel Thomas (DSU RB) Marchant Kenney (USM LB)
Kris Mangum (OM TE)
1997: *Stewart Patridge (OM QB)
John Avery (OM RB)
Patrick Surtain (USM DB)
1998: *James Johnson (MSU RB)
Rufus French (OM TE)
Sherrod Gideon (USM WR)
1999: * Deuce McAllister (OM RB) Ashley Cooper (MSU DB)
Adalius Thomas (USM LB)
2000: *Josh Bright (DSU QB)
Dicenzo Miller (MSU RB)
Fred Smoot (MSU DB)
2001: *Eli Manning (OM QB)
Robert Kent (JSU QB)
T.C. Taylor (JSU WR)
2002: *Rod Davis (USM LB)
Robert Kent (JSU QB)
Eli Manning (OM QB)
2003: *Eli Manning (OM QB)
Rod Davis (USM LB)
Scott Eyster (DSU QB)
2004: * Michael Boley (USM LB)
Scott Eyster (DSU QB)
Jerious Norwood (MSU RB)
2005: *Jerious Norwood (MSU RB)
Scott Eyster (DSU QB)
Patrick Willis (OM LB)
2006: * Patrick Willis (OM LB)
Scott Eyster (DSU QB)
Damion Fletcher (USM RB)
2007: *Damion Fletcher (RB/USM)
Titus Brown (MSU  DE)
Anthony Dixon (MSU RB)
2008:*Juan Joseph(Millsaps QB)
Peria Jerry (OM DL)
Michael Oher(OM OL)
2009:*Anthony Dixon (MSU RB)
Dexter McCluster(OM RB)
2010 Austin Davis (USM QB)
Casey Therriault (JSU QB)
*Chris White (MSU LB)

* Trophy Recipient

2009 Sponsors :

Platinum
Mississippi State University
UMAA Foundation

Benefactors
AT&T
Bank Plus
Jackson State University
Meyer and Rosenbaum Insurance, Inc.
Mississippi College
USM Athletics