Air Force FS Trey Taylor named 2023 Jim Thorpe Award winner

On Friday, Air Force free safety Trey Taylor was named the 2023 Jim Thorpe Award winner. The honor is given annually to the best defensive back in the country. Taylor earned the award over Georgia’s Malaki Starks and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean.

Taylor tallied a career-high 71 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and three interceptions this season. The 6-foot senior only allowed 18 receptions on 31 targets for an average of 10.1 yards per reception.

Taylor amassed more interceptions than both DeJean or Starks. He finished with 30 more tackles (71) than Starks and 40 more than DeJean. He allowed just 72 total yards on 21 targets in coverage, highlighted by an jaw-dropping 0.22 yards per coverage snap.

While accepting the honor, Taylor revealed the secret ingredient behind his success.

“I just know what to look for on the field,” Taylor said on ESPN. “A big thing is how to carry competence, how to know and feel the game, slow everything down. Slowing down things on the football field is probably one of the biggest components that you can do.

“Being able to do that and on top of adding in the competence aspect of it, it makes the game of football a lot easier.”

More on the Jim Thorpe Award

Taylor is only the latest selection in a long list of highly-touted talents. The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame provided more information behind its selection process.

“A preseason “watch list” is compiled by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame based on previous performance and preseason All-America lists. A Screening Committee, consisting of Oklahoma Sports “Hall of Fame members, monitors the watch list players and narrows the field to 10-15 Semifinalists near the mid-season,” it wrote. “This same committee reconvenes near the end of November to select three award finalists. The three finalists are submitted to a national panel of over 250 committee members, sports writers, sportscasters, former players and coaches who vote to determine the winner of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.

“All three finalists are recognized on The Home Depot College Football Awards, presented  live on ESPN, where the winner is announced. Other recognized NCFAA awards announced include: Bednarik Award, Maxwell Award, Mackey Award, Rimington Trophy, Lou Groza Award, Ray Guy Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Outland Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, Biletnikoff Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Doak Walker Award and Walter Camp Award. 

“The  official presentation of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award takes place in Oklahoma City, following ESPN’s live presentation of The Home Depot College Football Awards. The current winner and all former winners are invited back each year to celebrate. Over 600 supporters attend the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet each year,  including many celebrities and dignitaries.”