Stocco Named To Maxwell Award Watch List
June 16, 2006 | Football
John Stocco, who will enter his third straight year as Wisconsin's starting quarterback in 2006, has been named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious Maxwell Award, which annually goes to the player of the year in college football.
Stocco, a senior from Richfield, Minn., has guided the Badgers to a 19-6 record the past two seasons. Among starting quarterbacks in 2006, only Boise State 's Jared Zabransky 'won' more games (20) as a starter than Stocco did in 2004-05. In fact, only Southern California's Matt Leinert (25), Texas's Vince Young (24) and Zabransky quarterbacked their teams to more victories than Stocco the past two seasons.
Stocco's winning percentage as a starter (.760) is the same as former Miami great Vinny Testaverde and better than former college stars like Miami 's Jim Kelly, Marshall's Byron Leftwich, Purdue's Bob Griese and Florida's Rex Grossman.
Last year Stocco set school season records for passing yards (2,920), passing touchdowns (21) and pass completions (197). He currently sits in third place on Wisconsin's career passing yardage list (5,042).
Stocco is a preseason honorable mention All-America choice of Street & Smith's magazine. He and his teammates open the 2006 season against Bowling Green at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sept. 2.
Wisconsin's Ron Dayne is the only player in school history to have won the Maxwell Award. That occurred in 1999.
