Philips Named to Hornung Award Watch List
The Louisville Sports Commission announced on Thursday that UCLA receiver/kick returner Kyle Philips has been named to the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse. The award recognizes the nation's most versatile player in major college football.
Philips became the 27th receiver in UCLA history to surpass the 100-career catch mark last season after he grabbed 38 receptions for 370 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He has led Bruin receivers in catches the past two seasons after hauling in 60 balls during the 2019 campaign. Philips caught a career-high 12 passes against USC that season, a number which ties him for fourth on the single-game school receptions list. He will enter the 2021 season with 104 career catches for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns.
In addition, Philips has averaged double-digits on punt returns in each of the past three seasons while posting a three-year average return mark of 18.3 yards per attempt. In 2020, he returned six punts for a 12.8-yard average. 2019 saw him return eight punts for 180 yards which produced a 22.5 yards per return average which helped UCLA rate second in the nation in punt return average. He also returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown to key UCLA's comeback win at Washington State from a 32-point second-half deficit. In the 2018 season, he averaged 18.0 yards per return.
The Paul Hornung Award, now in its 12th season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner to be held in downtown Louisville. This will be The Paul Hornung Award's fifth year as an associate member of the National College Football Awards Association.
"This award, which was created in my name, has earned a special place in college football," said Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner who played every position in the offensive backfield during his Notre Dame career and was a triple threat halfback and placekicker for the title town Green Bay Packers of the early 1960s. "I'm pleased that we are able to acknowledge outstanding players who contribute any way possible to help their teams win, the same way I did."
Hornung earned NFL MVP honors for the Packers in 1961 by setting a single-season NFL scoring record that stood 46 years. He is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called him, "The most versatile man ever to play the game." Information about the Award can be found at www.paulhornungaward.com.