Jaxson Dart Named 2020-21 Gatorade® National Football Player Of The Year

Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterback Trevor Lawrence Surprises Winner with Honor

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May 26, 2021, 10:00 ET

DRAPER, Utah, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36^th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Jaxson Dart of Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah is the 2020-21 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Dart won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the field, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Football Player of the Year winners who have combined for six NFL MVPs awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, six NFL first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence virtually surprised Dart with the news, while his family, coaches and teammates showed up with the trophy at school. Check out a video of the announcement here.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Dart as the nation's best high school football player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Dart from more than one million high school football players nationwide.

Competition for the national award was fierce. Dart topped the list of state winners in football who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 36 with signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Division I colleges/universities, 20 First Team All-State selections (including two 2019 selections due to coronavirus pandemic season cancellations) and 13 with a GPA of 4.0 and above.

"I can't really recall a quarterback improving from junior to senior year to the degree of Jaxson Dart, who took his game to an elite level this past fall," said Steven Wiltfong, director of recruiting for 247Sports. "A four-year starter, he made the game look like everyone else was moving in slow motion as he racked up nearly 6,000 yards of total offense and 79 total touchdowns, 67 of them coming through the air. Accurate to all levels of the field, he's a strong-armed passer with a high football IQ. He added a running element to his game this past season, breaking teams down when he pulled the ball down as well. I think Dart is a national championship-caliber quarterback at the next level, and I'm excited to see what he does at USC."

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior quarterback passed for 4,691 yards and 67 touchdowns this past season, leading the Chargers to a 14-0 record and the Class 6A state championship. Dart completed 240 of 345 passes, throwing just four interceptions, while also rushing for 1,195 yards and 12 TDs on 128 carries. The MaxPreps National Player of the Year, he was also selected Mr. Football by the Deseret News. Dart was ranked as the nation's No. 19 recruit in the Class of 2021 by ESPN.

Dart has assisted elderly members of his community and has volunteered locally on behalf of a food bank and clothing donation drives.

Dart has maintained a 3.98 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship at the University of Southern California this fall.

"Time and again, we see Gatorade National Players of the Year go on to great things, such as playing on professional teams, winning National Championships, as well as becoming coaches and role models for future generations of athletes," Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O'Brien. "Jaxson Dart joins a list of impressive student-athletes who have won the prestigious award and we are confident he is headed for a lifetime of similar accomplishments."

Each year a selection committee evaluates the nation's top talent in the District of Columbia and all 50 states, choosing national winners in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track and field.

Gatorade is dedicated to recognizing, supporting and keeping athletes in the game because of the lifelong skills sports instill on and off the field. Since the program's inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators. Previous winners include a distinguished list of athletes, such as Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Jayson Tatum, Derek Jeter, Elena Delle Donne and many other sports icons.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

PREVIOUS GATORADE NATIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS
YEAR	NAME	HOMETOWN	STATUS
2019-20	Arik Gilbert	Marietta, GA	Louisiana State University
2018-19	Jake Smith	Scottsdale, AZ	University of Texas, Austin
2017-18	JT Daniels	Santa Ana, CA	University of Georgia
2016-17	Tate Martell	Las Vegas, NV	Played at Ohio State and University of Miami
2015-16	Jacob Eason	Lake Stevens, WA	Indianapolis Colts
2014-15	Kyler Murray	Allen, TX	Arizona Cardinals
2013-14	Andrew Brown	Chesapeake, VA	Indianapolis Colts
2012-13	Max Browne	Sammamish, WA	Played at USC and University of Pittsburgh
2011-12	Johnathan Gray	Aledo, TX	Played at University of Texas, Austin
2010-11	Justin Worley	Rock Hill, SC	Retired from Chicago Bears
2009-10	Malcolm Jones	Westlake Village, CA	Played at UCLA
2008-09	Garrett Gilbert	Austin, TX	Dallas Cowboys
2007-08	Matt Barkley	Santa Ana, CA	NFL Free Agent
2006-07	John Brantley	Ocala, FL	Retired from Baltimore Ravens
2005-06	Mitch Mustain	Springdale, AR	Retired from San Antonio Talons (AFL)
2004-05	Greg Paulus	Syracuse, NY	Played at Syracuse University and Duke University
2003-04	Jeff Byers	Loveland, CO	Retired from Carolina Panthers
2002-03	Kyle Wright	Danville, CA	Retired from San Francisco 49ers
2001-02	Lorenzo Booker	Ventura, CA	Retired from Chicago Bears
2000-01	Joe Mauer	St. Paul, MN	Retired from Minnesota Twins
1999-00	Brock Berlin	Shreveport, LA	Retired from Detroit Lions
1998-99	Chris Lewis	Long Beach, CA	Played for Stanford University
1997-98	Ronald Curry	Hampton, VA	Retired from St. Louis Rams
1996-97	Travis Minor	Baton Rouge, LA	Retired from St. Louis Rams
1995-96	Tim Couch	Hyden, KY	Retired from Cleveland Browns
1994-95	Brock Huard	Puyallup, WA	Retired from Seattle Seahawks
1993-94	Peyton Manning	New Orleans, LA	Retired from Denver Broncos
1992-93	Ron Powlus	Berwick, PA	Retired from Philadelphia Eagles
1991-92	Chris Walsh	St. Paul, MN	Retired from Minnesota Vikings
1990-91	Marquette Smith	Lake Howell, FL	Retired from Carolina Panthers
1989-90	Robert Smith	Euclid, OH	Retired from Minnesota Vikings
1988-89	Terry Kirby	Tabb, VA	Retired from Oakland Raiders
1987-88	Curtis Bray	Monroeville, PA	Deceased (played at University of Pittsburgh)
1986-87	Emmitt Smith	Pensacola, FL	Retired from Arizona Cardinals
1985-86	Jeff George	Indianapolis, IN	Retired from Oakland Raiders

About Gatorade

The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets the needs of consumers who participate in Sports and Fitness, through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve and Bolt24. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep understanding of the unique needs and occasions of different types of sports and fitness. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by more than 50-year history of studying the best athletes in the world and sports-nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, allowing it to provide scientifically-formulated products that meet athletes' needs both on and off the field. For more information and a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE The Gatorade Company