Russell Named Manning Award Recipient

January has been an exciting month for LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. The first week of the New Year had the junior being named the Sugar Bowl MVP following LSU’s 41-14 win over Notre Dame.
A week later, Russell announced that he was going to bypass his senior season with the Tigers to make himself eligible for the NFL Draft in April. Many think that Russell could be the first player picked in the draft after his performance against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
Now, three weeks into the New Year, Russell is getting more headlines as he’s been named the recipient of the Manning Award, the Sugar Bowl Committee along with the Manning Family announced on Tuesday. Russell learned of the news on Tuesday morning when Archie Manning called him with the news.
“(Archie Manning) called to congratulate me,” Russell said. “He told me good luck in the future and wished me the best.”
“This is a tremendous honor. To win an award named after the Manning family, a family full of great quarterbacks, is wonderful. And, to be mentioned alongside some of the past winners of the award is also an honor. This is very special, but I couldn’t have done this without my teammates.”