Courtesy of Air Force

Air Force All-American Trey Taylor has been named the recipient of the East-West Shrine Bowl® Pat Tillman Award, the organization announced today. The award is presented to the player who best exemplifies character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service. Taylor will participate in the East-West Shrine game Thursday, Feb. 1, at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.

The award caps an amazing senior season for Taylor, who is the second Falcon to win the Pat Tillman Award, joining Weston Steelhammer, who won it in 2017.

Taylor, a native of Frisco, Texas, won the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back earlier this season. He is the first-ever Thorpe Award recipient from Air Force and only the second Falcon to win a major college football award, joining Chad Hennings, 1987 Outland Trophy recipient.
Taylor was named first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the first Falcon to earn first-team honors since Reggie Rembert earned the same honor from the AFCA in 2010. Taylor was also a third-team selection by the Associated Press.

A first-team all-Mountain West selection at safety, Taylor contributed 71 tackles, three interceptions, four PBUs and a first-career touchdown and recorded TFLs in four games for the Falcons. Taylor posted an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 82.6 and was credited with allowing just 18 receptions on 31 targets for an average of 10.1 yards per reception.

Taylor proved to be a leader for the Falcons by also being honored with this year’s Defender of the Nation Award, given to a college football player from one of the nation’s service academies based on exceptional leadership qualities, performance on and off the field, and a high standard of integrity.

Pat Tillman was a professional football player who walked away from the game after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to join the U.S. Army and fight for our country. A stand-out at Arizona State University, Tillman was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior before being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals.

After just three years in the NFL, Tillman turned down a multi-million-dollar contract offer from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army. Tillman served multiple tours of duty, including Operation Iraqi Freedom, before he was killed during a mission in Afghanistan in 2004.

The East-West Shrine Bowl® Pat Tillman Award is presented to a player who best exemplifies character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service. The honor celebrates a student athlete’s outstanding achievements and conduct, in and out of the game.

Pat Tillman Award Winners
2024 – Trey Taylor, DB, Air Force
2023 – Derek Parish, DL, Houston
2022 – Jack Coan, QB, Notre Dame
2020 – James Morgan, QB, FIU
2019 – Cody Barton, LB, Utah
2018 – J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
2017 – Weston Steelhammer, DB, Air Force
2016 – Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy
2015 – Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan
2014 – Gabe Ikard, OC, Oklahoma
2013 – Keith Pough, LB, Howard
2012 – Tauren Poole, RB, Tennessee
2011 – Josh McNary, LB, Army
2010 – Mike McLaughlin, LB, Boston College
2009 – Collin Mooney, FB, Army
2008 – Justin Tryon, DB, Arizona State
2007 – Kyle Shotwell, LB, Cal Poly
2006 – Charlie Peprah, DB, Alabama
2005 – Morgan Scalley, DB, Utah