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Desmond King becomes first Hawkeye to ever win Jim Thorpe Award
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Desmond King’s incredible year continues.
On Thursday night, the Iowa cornerback picked up his most impressive award yet. The junior earned the Jim Thorpe Award, which is give annually to the nation’s top defensive back. He became the first player in Iowa history to win the award.
He beat out Duke’s Jeremy Cash and Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III to take home the honor. King became just the third B1G player in the last 15 years to earn the Jim Thorpe Award.
Just like his ballhawking skills, Desmond King's tuxedo game is top notch. @TheIowaHawkeyes #Until pic.twitter.com/5KZk5qNyld
— College Football Hall of Fame (@cfbhall) December 11, 2015
King was honored after leading the nation with eight interceptions. More importantly, he led Iowa to its first 12-0 start in school history and their first Rose Bowl berth since 1991.
His dominance earned him USA Today All-America honors, and he also was the only defensive player among the five Walter Camp Award finalists, which is given annually to the nation’s top player.
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When King reached the stage at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show in Atlanta, ESPN’s Chris Fowler asked him a very simple question that many B1G fans have been wondering all year.
Why do quarterbacks keep throwing at you?
“Honestly, I don’t know,” King said. “But it’s going to keep getting intercepted.”
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.