Paul “the Golden Boy” Hornung was renowned for his versatility both at Notre Dame and with the Green Bay Packers, and the award for the most versatile player in college football bears his name.
Awarded since 2010 by the Louisville Sports Commission, all the Paul Hornung Award winners are listed by year below.
Paul Hornung Award Winners Listed by Year
- 2023 – Travis Hunter, Colorado
- 2022 – Jack Colletto, Oregon State
- 2021 – Marcus Jones, Houston
- 2020 – DeVonta Smith, Alabama
- 2019 – Lynn Bowden, Kentucky
- 2018 – Rondale Moore, Purdue
- 2017 – Saquon Barkley, Penn State
- 2016 – Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
- 2015 – Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
- 2014 – Shaq Thompson, Washington
- 2013 – Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
- 2012 – Tavon Austin, West Virginia
- 2011 – Brandon Boykin, Georgia
- 2010 – Owen Marecic, Stanford
Paul Hornung Award Eligibility Criteria
All Paul Hornung Award winners must meet a specific eligibility criteria. Chief amongst those is that a player sees significant time playing on either offense or defense combined with one of the following measures:
- Playing multiple positions on offense and/or multiple positions on defense.
- Playing a significant role on special teams.
- Performing as a two-way player who starts either on offense or defense and is used on the other side of the ball in some capacity.
- Making a significant impact during big games and elevating the team’s performance through leadership displayed by excelling in multiple roles.