Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
James named to Biletnikoff Watch List
7/18/2017 10:01:00 AM | Football
Junior makes team for second year
Tallahassee, FL - The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, has released the 2017 Biletnikoff Award Pre-Season Watch List and Middle Tennessee's Richie James has made it for the second straight year.
James is a two-time, first-team All C-USA selection and currently ranks second all-time in receptions and receiving yards at Middle Tennessee, while also standing fourth all-time in touchdown catches. He also has been named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List as one of the most versatile players in the nation.
James became just the sixth player in NCAA FBS history to have 200 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game when he tallied 207 yards on the ground and 120 in receiving against Florida Atlantic. James had a career-best 327 all-purpose yards against Florida Atlantic, which ranked second most in Middle Tennessee history.
The dynamic performer was a first-team All C-USA selection and was voted MVP of the Hawai'i Bowl in 2016, when he was also named to the Beletnikoff Award and Maxwell Award Watch Lists. James had 105 receptions for a school-record 1,625 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 339 yards. He led all receivers with 972 snaps played.
The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. The award recipient is selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, and former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. BiletnikoffAward.com/voters
Receivers are periodically added to the watch list as their season performances dictate. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
The transparently detailed and explicit criteria for candidate eligibility, watch list inclusion, and voting appear at: BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria
The 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 7, 2017, on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be broadcast 7:00 - 9:00pm (EST) on ESPN. College Football Hall of Famer, Heisman Trophy winner, and Biletnikoff Award voter Desmond Howard will present the 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner on the show. Howard is one of only 5 ends or receivers who has won the Heisman Trophy, joining Larry Kelley, Leon Hart, Johnny Rodgers, and Biletnikoff Award voter Tim Brown.
The correlation between Biletnikoff Award winners and stardom in the National Football League is uncannily predictable. Past Biletnikoff Award winners include Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Larry Fitzgerald.
The 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented the Biletnikoff Award trophy by college and pro football hall of famers Fred Biletnikoff and keynoter Floyd Little before 550 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, February 10, 2018. The banquet was hailed by 2014 keynote speaker Dick Vermeil, as well as by 2013 keynoter Larry Csonka, as "the best banquet in college sports."
The banquet has featured distinguished keynoters of profound character and accomplishments including Bart Starr, Dick Vermeil, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Ron Jaworski, Gene Stallings, Bob Griese, Bill Curry, Bobby Bowden, Jim Kelly, Jerry Kramer, Joe Theismann, and Dan Fouts.
The banquet also recognizes the Foundation's scholarship recipients who will be offered by the Foundation over $800,000 in college and vocational scholarships and related benefits in 2018 alone, as in 2016 and 2017. The Foundation's charitable mission is the provision of college and vocational scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extra-curricular levels.
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., will announce the ten Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on November 13, 2017, following the vote by the members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared, following another vote, on November 21, 2017. For complete details and updates of interest, together with weekly statistics and timely, important news of the Biletnikoff Award candidates, as well as a fan vote and discussion board, please consult the Foundation's highly informative website at BiletnikoffAward.com.
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was an All-America receiver at Florida State University, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation (TQC), Inc., created the Biletnikoff Award in 1994.
James is a two-time, first-team All C-USA selection and currently ranks second all-time in receptions and receiving yards at Middle Tennessee, while also standing fourth all-time in touchdown catches. He also has been named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List as one of the most versatile players in the nation.
James became just the sixth player in NCAA FBS history to have 200 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game when he tallied 207 yards on the ground and 120 in receiving against Florida Atlantic. James had a career-best 327 all-purpose yards against Florida Atlantic, which ranked second most in Middle Tennessee history.
The dynamic performer was a first-team All C-USA selection and was voted MVP of the Hawai'i Bowl in 2016, when he was also named to the Beletnikoff Award and Maxwell Award Watch Lists. James had 105 receptions for a school-record 1,625 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 339 yards. He led all receivers with 972 snaps played.
The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. The award recipient is selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, and former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. BiletnikoffAward.com/voters
Receivers are periodically added to the watch list as their season performances dictate. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
The transparently detailed and explicit criteria for candidate eligibility, watch list inclusion, and voting appear at: BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria
The 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 7, 2017, on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be broadcast 7:00 - 9:00pm (EST) on ESPN. College Football Hall of Famer, Heisman Trophy winner, and Biletnikoff Award voter Desmond Howard will present the 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner on the show. Howard is one of only 5 ends or receivers who has won the Heisman Trophy, joining Larry Kelley, Leon Hart, Johnny Rodgers, and Biletnikoff Award voter Tim Brown.
The correlation between Biletnikoff Award winners and stardom in the National Football League is uncannily predictable. Past Biletnikoff Award winners include Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Larry Fitzgerald.
The 2017 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented the Biletnikoff Award trophy by college and pro football hall of famers Fred Biletnikoff and keynoter Floyd Little before 550 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, February 10, 2018. The banquet was hailed by 2014 keynote speaker Dick Vermeil, as well as by 2013 keynoter Larry Csonka, as "the best banquet in college sports."
The banquet has featured distinguished keynoters of profound character and accomplishments including Bart Starr, Dick Vermeil, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Ron Jaworski, Gene Stallings, Bob Griese, Bill Curry, Bobby Bowden, Jim Kelly, Jerry Kramer, Joe Theismann, and Dan Fouts.
The banquet also recognizes the Foundation's scholarship recipients who will be offered by the Foundation over $800,000 in college and vocational scholarships and related benefits in 2018 alone, as in 2016 and 2017. The Foundation's charitable mission is the provision of college and vocational scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extra-curricular levels.
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., will announce the ten Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on November 13, 2017, following the vote by the members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared, following another vote, on November 21, 2017. For complete details and updates of interest, together with weekly statistics and timely, important news of the Biletnikoff Award candidates, as well as a fan vote and discussion board, please consult the Foundation's highly informative website at BiletnikoffAward.com.
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was an All-America receiver at Florida State University, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation (TQC), Inc., created the Biletnikoff Award in 1994.
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