Army football quarterback Bryson Daily ran for 126 yards and four touchdowns in the Black Knights' 35-14 win over Tulane in the AAC title game, earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the championship contest.
But Daily's coach Jeff Monken believes his QB, who finished the regular season tied with Heisman Trophy hopeful Ashton Jeanty for the FBS lead in rushing touchdowns, deserves another award. Monken, speaking to ESPN sideline reporter Taylor McGregor after the game, lobbied for Daily to receive an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York on Dec.14.
"He's [Bryson Daily] had a great season," Monken said. "And the Downtown Athletic Club should extend an invitation to him to come to New York next week."
YOU HEARD @CoachJeffMonken 🗣️
— The American (@American_Conf) December 7, 2024
SEND BRYSON DAILY TO NEW YORK‼️#AmericanWay x @ArmyWP_Football pic.twitter.com/JLZuXJeTVg
But Monken wasn't finished making his case for Daily's Heisman Trophy candidacy, as he further explained why his QB deserves a shot at the biggest award in college football.
"I don’t know that there’s anybody in the country that would balk at the idea of the starting quarterback of the Army Black Knights, who’s rushed for 100 yards in a game 10 games in a row on an 11–1 team that just won the conference championship, why doesn’t that guy belong down there?” Monken said.
"There’s a lot of great football players in the country, but there’s not one that means more to his team than that guy sitting right down there,” Monken continued. "And so it’s the MVP of college football. Who’s most valuable to their team? I’d argue there’s not a guy in America more valuable to their team than Bryson Daily."
Jeff Monken makes case for #ArmyFootball QB Bryson Daily as Heisman Trophy finalist pic.twitter.com/2YulsYhXWJ
— Black Knight Nation (@BKKnightNation) December 7, 2024
Army football has had just three players—Felix Blanchard, Glenn Davis and Pete Dawkins—win the Heisman Trophy in its program's history. But Daily is as deserving as any Black Knights player since to become the fourth. Leading Army's triple-option offense, Daily attempted just 78 passes, firing eight touchdowns to one interception. But on the ground, he was an unstoppable force, rushing for 1,480 yards and 29 touchdowns, breaking the AAC single-season record for rushing scores in the process.
"I don’t have a vote in it and they’re not going to listen to me, but he belongs down there," Monken said. "And I know that the college football world would be thrilled to see that, and how many times in history is there going to be an academy player that legitimately could go down there and everybody feels like that guy belongs?
"You know what, this is that time in history. That guy belongs down there, that’s what I think."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Army Football Coach Says Bryson Daily Deserves Heisman Trophy Invitation.
