Dec. 9, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Quarterback Jarious Jackson received Notre Dame’s ’99 MVP award Friday night at the 80th annual Notre Dame Football Banquet sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley.
ABC television personality Regis Philbin served as guest speaker at the event, which attracted approximately 1,000 people.
Jackson, a senior from Tupelo, Miss. was selected as the MVP for the Irish, with his award coming from the Notre Dame National Monogram Club via vote of the players.
Jackson broke the Notre Dame single-season record for passing yards with 2,753 yards in 1999 and also the single-season mark for total offense with 3,217 yards. Both those marks were previously held by Joe Theismann with 2,429 passing yards and 2,820 yards of total offense in 1970.
Jackson also broke the Notre Dame single-season marks for pass attempts with 316 (formerly held by Ron Powlus with 298 in ’97), pass completions with 184 (formerly held by Powlus with 182 in ’97) and finished his career with 4,503 passing yards – the fourth-best in school history behind Powlus (7,602 from 1994-97), Steve Beuerlein (6,527 from 1983-86) and Rick Mirer (5,997 from 1989-92).
Jackson threw for 200 or more yards in seven straight games this season – from the Michigan through Navy games – and led the team in rushing touchdowns with seven.
He served as the solo captain of the Irish – the first since 1991 – and was one of 15 semifinalists for the 1999 Football News offensive player of the year award in addition to being one of 25 candidates for The Davey O’Brien Foundation National Quarterback Award.
Senior Brad Williams, a defensive tackle from Orange, Calif., won the Lineman of the Year Award from the Moose Krause Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
Williams started all 12 games for the Irish in ’99 and registered 25 tackles, including two for a loss of yardage and a quarterback sack. Williams also had two pass break-ups and a forced fumble.
Williams played in 40 games during his four-year career and finished with a consecutive start streak of 27 – the longest on the Irish team this season. Williams had a season-high six tackles vs. Michigan State in ’99.
Senior Lamont Bryant, a defensive end from Georgetown, S.C., won the Nick Pietrosante Award – also voted on by the players – as the individual who best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride shown by the late Irish All-America fullback. Pietrosante died of cancer on Feb. 6, 1988.
Bryant started all 12 games for the Irish in ’99 and made 53 tackles (with six for a loss) and tied for the team lead with four quarterback sacks. He made 11.5 sacks during his collegiate career and played in 45 games, starting 30 of them, and registered 199 career tackles.
Senior James Caputo, a holder from Chatham, N.J., received the Knute Rockne Student-Athlete Award from the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley. He owns a 3.702 grade-point average as a history major in the College of Arts and Letters.
Caputo served as the Irish holder for extra-point attempts and field goals all season.
Senior Bobby Brown, a split end from Lauderhill, Fla., earned the State Farm/Westwood One Student-Athlete of the Year Award. Brown has a 2.833 grade-point average in the College of Arts and Letters, with three majors – government, sociology and computer applications.
One of 12 weekly winners announced on Westwood One during radio broadcasts of Irish games in ’99, Brown was the leading receiver on the Irish team this season with 36 catches and also led Notre Dame with 608 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Brown had a career-high 12 receptions for 208 yards and added a touchdown Nov. 13 against Pittsburgh.