Via the ACC:
Florida State offensive guard Dillan Gibbons has been named the recipient of the 2022 Jim Tatum Award, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday.
The award is given annually in memory of the late Jim Tatum to the top senior student-athlete among the league's football players. Tatum, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year, coached in the 1950s at both Maryland and North Carolina and believed strongly in the concept of the student-athlete.
“It means so much to me to be the recipient of the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award,” Gibbons said. “Through the years, I have faced many challenges and adversity in my academic career as well as on the gridiron. Fighting through this adversity has allowed me to transform into the man I have become and has set me up for success in life after football. I chose the more difficult path of obtaining a challenging bachelor’s degree and an MBA while also playing college football even as others doubted that I could do both at a high level. I’ve been motivated to showcase my abilities in the classroom and on the field as I have pursued my ultimate goals. This award is extremely meaningful to me, and I’m so thankful to the voters for recognizing my efforts.”
Gibbons made his mark as one of the league’s top offensive linemen upon transferring from Notre Dame last season, and the FSU senior’s academic accomplishments are equally impressive. With a career GPA above 3.5, Gibbons already owns a bachelor’s degree in Management and Consulting from the prestigious Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame and is putting the finishing touches on his MBA from Florida State.
In addition to his work in the classroom, Gibbons has raised more than $450,000 for several charitable causes through his Big Man Big Heart non-profit organization, which he established to honor the memory and legacy of Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden.
On the field, Gibbons helped the Seminoles (9-3) rush for more than 200 yards in each of their final seven regular-season games, the longest active streak in the nation and the longest for FSU since 1987.
“We are incredibly proud of Dillan for earning the Jim Tatum Award,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “Dillan is the epitome of what this award represents, as he is a tremendous football player who holds himself to the same high standard in everything he does. His drive to be successful on the field, in the classroom and in the community while making an impact for others was evident in my first recruiting conversation with him, and he has been a remarkable representative of our program and the culture we have here at Florida State.
“I’m happy that he joins this prestigious group of winners and am excited about what those qualities will lead to in Dillan’s future.”
Gibbons is the fourth Florida State football student-athlete to be honored with the ACC's Jim Tatum Award and the first since quarterback Christian Ponder in 2010.
Gibbons, who was named to the 2022 Allstate Good Works Team, is also a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year. The winner of the Wuerffel Trophy will be announced during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 8, and the Witten winner will be revealed February 23, 2023.
ACC Jim Tatum Award Winners
1979 - Scott Hamilton, Duke, OG
1980 - No Award
1981 - Bert Krupp, LB, Virginia
1982 - Pat Chester, Virginia, S
Phil Denfield, Wake Forest, TE
1983 - Phil Denfield, Wake Forest, TE
1984 - Not Available
1985 - Kevin Anthony, North Carolina, QB
1986 - David Cardenas, Virginia, DB
1987 - Harris Barton, OT, North Carolina
1988 - Not Available
1989 - Doug Kley, Duke, DT
1990 - Charlie Cobb, NC State, C
1991 - Steve Ainsworth, Wake Forest, OL
1992 - Not Available
1993 - Thomas Burns, Virginia, LB
1994 - Ed Glenn, Clemson, TE
1995 - Russell Babb, North Carolina, OT
1996 - Daryl Bush, Florida State, DB
1997 - Stephen Phelan, Virginia, DB
Jonathan Claiborne, Maryland, S
1998 - Ebenezer Ekuban, North Carolina, DE
1999 - Noel LaMontagne, Virginia, OG
2000 - Louis Marchetti, North Carolina, OT
2001 - Kyle Young, Clemson, C
2002 - Jeremy Muyres, Georgia Tech, DB
2003 - Chris Douglas, Duke, RB
2004 - Nick Novak, Maryland, PK
2005 - Brendan Dewan, Duke, LB
David Castillo, Florida State, C
2006 - Josh Wilson, Maryland, DB
2007 - Tom Santi, Virginia, TE
2008 - Darryl Richard, Georgia Tech, DT
2009 - Riley Skinner, Wake Forest, QB
2010 - Christian Ponder, Florida State, QB
2011 - Danny Coale, Virginia Tech, WR-P
2012 - Sean Renfree, Duke, QB
2013 - Perry Simmons, Duke, OT
2014 - David Helton, Duke, LB
2015 - Jeremy Cash, Duke, S
2016 - Ryan Janvion, Wake Forest, S
2017 - Braxton Berrios, Miami, WR
2018 - Christian Wilkins, Clemson, DT
2019 – Jordan Mack, Virginia, LB
2020 – Kingsley Jonathan, Syracuse, DE
2021 – Zach Tom, Wake Forest, OT
2022 – Dillan Gibbons, Florida State, OG
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