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Pitt receiver Jordan Addison won the Biletnikoff Award on Thursday night, capping off an outstanding sophomore season in which he led the nation in touchdown receptions and ranked third in receiving yards. Addison beat out Alabama receiver Jameson Williams and Purdue receiver David Bell for the honor.
The Biletnikoff Award was first issued in 1994 and has since been given annually to the most outstanding FBS receiver. Addison is the third Pitt receiver to win the honor, with the first being Antonio Bryant in 2000 and the second being Larry Fitzgerald in 2003. No other program has more Biletnikoff winners than Pitt, and the total of three has only been matched by Alabama and Oklahoma State.
“This is an absolutely incredible honor,” Addison said. “Every day at our practice facility, I walk past the Biletnikoff Award trophies won by Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant. I always go up and put my hand on the trophy because it was my goal to one day win it. I am so humbled and blessed to join those all-time greats. I share this honor with all of my teammates, Coach Narduzzi and my wide receivers coach, Brennan Marion. This is just as much their award as it is mine.”
This season, Addison amassed 1,479 yards and 17 touchdowns on 93 receptions. He also chipped in 28 yards and another score on six rushing attempts and managed to rack up 185 yards on 11 punt returns, making him a versatile threat in virtually any situation where the ball is in his hands. Addison’s 1,479 receiving yards this year were the second-most ever accrued by a Pitt receiver. Only Fitzgerald posted a higher total, with 1,672 in 2003.
In terms of the competition Addison faced for the Biletnikoff Award in 2020, Williams represented his closest competition, as he had 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Meanwhile, Bell appeared to be a long shot for the award, with 1,286 yards and just six touchdowns in 2021. And with Addison leading the group in every major statistical category, he was rewarded for his dominant play.