Stephen Johnson wins 7th Annual Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award

Stephen Johnson accepts the Howard Schnellenberger Award as Most Valuable Player for the winning team of the Kentucky-Louisville game.  Presenting the award is Karl Schmitt of the Louisville Sports Commission.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Kentucky junior quarterback Stephen Johnson was named winner of the 2016 Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award after leading the Wildcats in a 41-38 upset win over the University of Louisville Saturday at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Johnson was selected by a vote of the working media covering the game.

 

Johnson completed 16 of 27 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 83 yards on eight carries in leading UK to its seventh win of the season (7-5). He engineered a seven-play, 60-yard drive that consumed 1:33 that led to the winning, 47-yard field goal with 00:12 remaining in the game. Johnson connected with Garrett Johnson for a 75-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 63-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Dorian Baker early in the fourth quarter.

 

Schnellenberger was recruited to UK out of Louisville Flaget High School by Bear Bryant in 1952 and was an All-American tight end for the Wildcats under Blanton Collier as a senior. Schnellenberger was an assistant coach at UK under Collier in 1959 and 1960. He was an assistant under Bryant at Alabama for three national titles, offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins for the 17-0 season in 1972, and led the University of Miami to the national championship as head coach in 1983. As the head coach at UofL for 10 years (1985-1994), Schnellenberger is credited with rejuvenating the football program and led the Cardinals to victories in the Liberty and Fiesta Bowls.

 

2015 Schnellenberger Award Winner. UofL freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson earned the Award by rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for one as he led the Cardinals to a 38-24 come-from-behind win over Kentucky in Commonwealth Stadium. With the Cardinals down 21-0, Jackson entered the game in mid first quarter to engineer the dramatic comeback by rushing for 186 yards and throwing for 130. Down 24-7 at intermission, UofL score 31 straight points in the second half.

 

2014 Schnellenberger Award Winner. UofL junior wide receiverDevante Parker earned the Award with six catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns in a wild back and forth game in Cardinal Stadium that Louisville won 38-34. Parker, a Louisville native out of Ballard High School, notched his seventh 100-yard receiving game and tied the UofL career touchdown receiving record with 33. The game featured nearly 800 yards in combined total offense and seven lead changes. 

  

2013 Schnellenberger Award Winner. Teddy Bridgewater captured his second consecutive MVP Award when he threw to seven different receivers in UofL’s 27-13 win over UK at Commonwealth Stadium. For the day, Bridgewater was 16-28 passing for 250 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He lofted a second quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Devante Parker deep in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

 

2012 Schnellenberger Award Winner. Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater earned the Award with a sterling performance in UofL’s 32-14 win over UK at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. He completed 19-21 passes for 232 yards and no interceptions and set a UofL single-game record with a 90.5 percent completion rate. He led UofL on a 15-play 99-yard scoring drive on the Cardinals’ first possession and a six-play 85-yard scoring drive on their second possession for a lead they would never relinquish.

 

2011 Schnellenberger Award Winner. A senior linebacker and Louisville native, Dexter Heyman earned the Award as the Cardinals defeated the Wildcats 24-17 at Commonwealth Stadium. Heyman made 12 tackles, two for a loss, and a forced fumble recovered by a teammate, leading the Cardinal defense that limited the Wildcats to 35 yards rushing in 32 carries.

 

2010 Schnellenberger Award Winner. UK senior running back Derrick Locke was named the inaugural recipient of the Award for his performance in the Wildcats’ 23-16 win over UofL at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Locke registered 150 all-purpose yards, including 104 rushing yards on 23 carries. He scored two first quarter touchdowns for a lead UK would never relinquish.