The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame has announced the three finalists for the 2021 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, which is awarded to the best defensive back in college football. The award is based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.

Coby Bryant (University of Cincinnati, AAC), Verone McKinley III (University of Oregon, Pac-12) and Jalen Pitre (Baylor University, Big 12) are the three defensive backs chosen as the 2021 finalists. This group of finalists represents two Power Five conferences and one Group of Five conference.

The award recipient will be selected from the three finalists by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which includes members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients and sportswriters and college football journalists throughout the country.

The winner will be announced Dec. 9 at The Home Depot College Football Awards. Other recognized NCFAA awards announced include the Chuck Bednarik Award, Maxwell Award, John Mackey Award, Rimington Trophy, Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, Ray Guy Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Outland Trophy, Butkus Award, Rotary Lombardi Award, Biletnikoff Award, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, Doak Walker Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year 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 each year to celebrate. Over 600 supporters attend the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet each year, including many celebrities and dignitaries. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award commemorative banquet is scheduled to be held Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Oklahoma City.

For more information on the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, please visit the link below.

https://oklahomasportshalloffame.org/paycom-jim-thorpe-award

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating back to 1935.

Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about this association.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is awarded to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The award was established in 1986 and is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, Jim Thorpe. Thorpe excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on the offensive side of the ball, but also stood out as a defensive back. In addition to his legendary performance on the football field, Thorpe played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is universally accepted as one of the nation's top collegiate sports honors.

Paycom Software, Inc. (“Paycom”) (NYSE: PAYC), a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, and the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame jointly announced in May 2017 an exclusive sponsorship of the Jim Thorpe Award. As a result, the accolade has been named the “Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.”

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