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The Maxwell Award is presented to the top college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and head coaches by the Maxwell Football Club.
| Year | Winner | School |
| 2006 | Brady Quinn | Notre Dame |
| 2005 | Vince Young | Texas |
| 2004 | Jason White | Oklahoma |
| 2003 | Eli Manning | Mississippi |
| 2002 | Larry Johnson | Penn State |
| 2001 | Ken Dorsey | Miami |
| 2000 | Drew Brees | Purdue |
| 1999 | Ron Dayne | Wisconsin |
| 1998 | Ricky Williams | Texas |
| 1997 | Peyton Manning | Tennessee |
| 1996 | Danny Wuerffel | Florida |
| 1995 | Eddie George | Ohio State |
| 1994 | Kerry Collins | Penn State |
| 1993 | Charlie Ward | Florida State |
| 1992 | Gino Torretta | Miami |
| 1991 | Desmond Howard | Michigan |
| 1990 | Ty Detmer | Brigham Young |
| 1989 | Anthony Thompson | Indiana |
| 1988 | Barry Sanders | Oklahoma State |
| 1987 | Don McPherson | Syracuse |
| 1986 | Vinny Testaverde | Miami |
| 1985 | Chuck Long | Iowa |
| 1984 | Doug Flutie | Boston College |
| 1983 | Mike Rozier | Nebraska |
| 1982 | Herschel Walker | Georgia |
| 1981 | Marcus Allen | USC |
| 1980 | Hugh Green | Pittsburgh |
| 1979 | Charles White | USC |
| 1978 | Charles Fusina | Penn State |
| 1977 | Ross Browner | Notre Dame |
| 1976 | Tony Dorsett | Pittsburgh |
| 1975 | Archie Griffin | Ohio State |
| 1974 | Steve Joachim | Temple |
| 1973 | John Cappelletti | Penn State |
| 1972 | Brad Van Pelt | Michigan State |
| 1971 | Ed Marinaro | Cornell |
| 1970 | Jim Plunkett | Stanford |
| 1969 | Mike Reid | Penns State |
| 1968 | O.J. Simpson | USC |
| 1967 | Gary Beban | UCLA |
| 1966 | James R. Lynch | Notre Dame |
| 1965 | Tommy Nobis, Jr. | Texas |
| 1964 | Glenn Ressler | Penn State |
| 1963 | Roger Staubach | Navy |
| 1962 | Terry Baker | Oregon State |
| 1961 | Robert E. Ferguson | Ohio State |
| 1960 | Joseph Bellino | Navy |
| 1959 | Richard J. Lucas | Penn State |
| 1958 | Peter J. Dawkins | U.S. Military Academy |
| 1957 | Robert H. Reifsnyder | Navy |
| 1956 | Tom McDonald | Oklahoma |
| 1955 | Howard Cassidy | Ohio State |
| 1954 | Ronald Beagle | Navy |
| 1953 | John Lattner | Notre Dame |
| 1952 | John Lattner | Notre Dame |
| 1951 | Dick Kazmaier | Princeton |
| 1950 | Francis J. Bagnell* | Penns |
| 1949 | Leon Hart | Notre Dame |
| 1948 | Charles Bednarik | Penn |
| 1947 | Doak Walker* | SMU |
| 1946 | Charles Trippi | Georgia |
| 1945 | Felix A. Blanchard | U.S. Military Academy |
| 1944 | Glenn Davis | U.S. Military Academy |
| 1943 | Robert H. Odell | Penn |
| 1942 | Paul V. Governali* | Columbia |
| 1941 | Bill Dudley | Virginia |
| 1940 | Tom Harmon* | Michigan |
| 1939 | Niles C. Kinnick* | Iowa |
| 1938 | Davey O'Brien* | Texas Christian University |
| 1937 | Clinton E. Frank* | Yale |
