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LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) runs against Georgia during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in Atlanta.
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) runs against Georgia during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in Atlanta. [AP Photo | John Bazemore]

Joe Burrow Named AP Player of the Year


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LSU quarterback and Athens High School alumnus Joe Burrow is The Associated Press college football player of the year after a landslide vote.

Burrow, who has led the top-ranked Tigers to an unbeaten season and their first College Football Playoff appearance, received 51 of 54 first-place votes from AP Top 25 poll voters and a total of 159 points.

Ohio State defensive end Chase Young was second with three first-place votes and 29 points while Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields was third with 43 points. Burrow, Young, Fields and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, who finished fourth with 33 points, are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy to be handed out Saturday in New York.

Cat's Corner in Athens shows it's support for Joe Burrow on Friday. [Allison Hunter | WOUB]
Gigi's Country Kitchen in The Plains supports the Athens High alumnus on Friday. [Allison Hunter | WOUB]

Burrow is the favorite for the award after passing for 4,715 yards and an Southeastern Conference record 48 touchdowns. The senior transfer from Ohio State is on pace to set a major college record, completing 77.9% of his passes.

The AP player of the year award began in 1998 and only five times has the winner not been the same as the Heisman winner; the last time that happened was in 2015, when Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey won the AP award and Alabama running back Derrick Henry was the Heisman winner.

Burow is the first LSU player to win the award.

LSU faces Hurts and No. 4 Oklahoma in the playoff semifinal Dec. 28 at the Peach Bowl. Later that night, Fields and Young and the rest of the Buckeyes will play Clemson in the other semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl.