paycom jim thorpe award

The first Jim Thorpe Award was presented in 1986, and is named after legendary athlete and Oklahoma Native, Jim Thorpe. It was conceived by former Oklahoma City talk show host, Ed Sossen, and former Jim Thorpe Association (now Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame) Executive Director, W. Lynne Draper, as a way to positively promote Oklahoma in a national light. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is universally accepted as one of the  nation's top collegiate sports honors, and is presented to individual athletes based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. 

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

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. 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.