The trophy was named afterGerman American entrepreneur William J. Voit (1881–1946),[3] the founder of theW.J. Voit Rubber Company. In the 1950s and 1960s, a representative of the Voit organization presented the trophy at a banquet preceding the Rose Bowl game.[1][2][4][5][6][7][8] In 1969, aLos Angeles Times columnist wrote the following about the Voit Trophy tradition:
"Jim Plunkett was in Pasadena Monday to receive the 19th Annual Voit Memorial Trophy, which goes to the Pacific Coast's top player. The trophy stands nearly as high as most men who receive it, but Plunkett dwarfed the thing. ... The Voit Trophy, though, is an accurate mirror of later success in professional ball. Three of theNFL's top quarterbacks --Joe Kapp,Billy Kilmer andCraig Morton -- all won it, as did such other pro players asMike Garrett,Gary Beban andO. J. Simpson. Since the award was instituted in 1951, only one winner has failed to play pro ball of some sort."[9]
In addition to the notable NFL players to win the Voit Trophy, the runners-up in the Voit voting included such Hall of Fame players asJohn Brodie (Voit runner-up in 1956),Mel Renfro (Voit runner-up in 1963), andHugh McElhenny (Voit runner-up in 1951).
Unlike thePop Warner Trophy, awarded each year to the top senior football player on the West Coast, the Voit Trophy was open to underclassmen. Accordingly, three players received the Voit Trophy in multiple years. The multi-year winners of the award areUSC Trojans running backJon Arnett (1955 and 1956), Stanford Cardinal quarterbackJim Plunkett (1969 and 1970), and USC tailbackAnthony Davis (1972 and 1974).
USC and Stanford athletes won the Voit Trophy more than those at any other school, with USC athletes taking the trophy nine times and Stanford athletes doing so six times.
In 1975, thePac-10 Conference began awarding its own Player of the Year award, diminishing the significance of the Voit Trophy. The award of the trophy was discontinued shortly thereafter.
^Jack Geyer. "Wizard of Odds: Troy Favored by 7 Points, but Hill Calls Game Even".Los Angeles Times. (Voit president Willard Voit, son of the trophy's namesake, presented the 1952 trophy)
^Jack Geyer (1956-12-18). "Luncheon: Iowa Rugged, Says Team's Line Coach".Los Angeles Times.
^Jack Geyer (1957-12-24). "Hayes Scoffs At Big Odds On Buckeyes".Los Angeles Times.
^Al Wolf (1959-12-29). "Bowl Coaches Refuse To Sing Blues".Los Angeles Times. (Voit national sales manager Mike Kelly and Rose Bowl Queen present 1959 trophy.)
^Dwight Chapin (1969-12-31). "He Could Use The Money: Plunkett Reveals He Was Never Close To Accepting Pro Offer".Los Angeles Times.
