A football roster is really eight or nine small teams that share a helmet. The quarterback room, the offensive line, the linebackers and the specialists all spent the season in different meetings, with different coaches, doing different jobs. A banquet that only hands out MVP and offensive and defensive player of the year leaves most of those rooms out.
The ideas below are sorted the way a coaching staff thinks about the roster: three units first, then each position group, then the awards that cross every group. Pick the ones that fit your season, rename them in your program’s own language, and make sure each one has a reason a coach can say out loud in one sentence.
Start with the three units
Most programs build the list from the top down. One award for each unit gives every player in the room a reason to listen, and it sets up the position-group awards underneath.
- Offensive Player of the Year: the player the offense ran through, whatever the position.
- Defensive Player of the Year: the player opposing coaches planned around.
- Special Teams Player of the Year: the most valuable player on the unit that touches the ball on every change of possession.
- Two-Way Award: for a player who started on both sides of the ball and never asked to come off.
Offense by position group
- Signal Caller Award: the quarterback who got the team into the right play, not only the one with the best numbers.
- Workhorse Award: the running back who took the most carries and finished every one falling forward.
- Yards After Contact Award: for the ball carrier who was never brought down by the first tackler.
- Route Runner Award: the receiver who was open because the route was exact.
- Contested Catch Award: came down with the ball in traffic when it mattered.
- Blocking Receiver Award: for the wideout who sprang the long runs downfield.
- Two-Way Tight End Award: blocked like a lineman on one snap and caught like a receiver on the next.
- Pancake Award: the offensive lineman with the most knockdown blocks on film.
- Clean Pocket Award: given to the whole offensive line for the fewest sacks allowed.
Defense by position group
- Backfield Intruder Award: the defensive lineman who lived behind the line of scrimmage, measured in tackles for loss.
- Sack Leader Award: the most quarterback sacks on the team.
- Double Team Award: for the nose tackle who took two blockers every snap so the linebackers could run free.
- Tackle Leader Award: the linebacker whose name the announcer said the most.
- Run Stopper Award: filled the gap on every inside run.
- Ball Hawk Award: the defensive back with the most interceptions.
- Pass Breakup Award: for the corner who got a hand on everything thrown their way.
- Last Line Award: the safety who made the touchdown-saving tackle more than once.
- Takeaway Award: the most forced fumbles and recoveries combined.
Special teams
Specialists are the easiest players to forget at a banquet and the ones who decided at least one game. Even a single award for the unit is worth giving.
- Big Leg Award: the kicker who made the long field goals and put kickoffs deep.
- Pin It Deep Award: the punter who kept opponents inside their own territory.
- Perfect Snap Award: for the long snapper who went the whole season without a bad snap.
- Return Specialist Award: the kick or punt returner who flipped field position.
- First Down the Field Award: the coverage player who made the tackle on returns.
- Hands Team Award: for the player who came up with the onside kick.
Practice, the weight room and the classroom
- Look Team Award: gave the starters a true picture of next week’s opponent, every practice.
- Weight Room Award: the biggest strength gains from summer to the last game.
- Next Man Up Award: stepped into a starting spot after an injury and kept the unit steady.
- Tuesday Player Award: the best practice player on the roster, named for the hardest practice of the week.
- Student-Athlete Award: the best grades on the roster.
- Most Improved: the biggest change from the first day of camp to the last game.
Fun football awards that stay kind
One or two are plenty, and only about things the winner already laughs about. Nothing about a fumble, a dropped pass, an injury or a player’s size.
- Big Man Touchdown Award: for the lineman who finally got the ball and scored.
- Grass Stain Award: the jersey the equipment manager dreaded every week.
- Sideline Weatherman: predicted every rain game correctly.
- Camp Survivor Award: for the freshman who made it through preseason and kept smiling.
- Chinstrap Award: never once had to be told to buckle up.
- Trick Play Award: ran the play the coaches saved all season.
More in the same spirit are in funny award ideas.
How many awards to give
Three unit awards plus one per position group comes to a dozen or more before captains and seniors. That is right for a large varsity program and too many for a youth team. Combine groups when the roster is smaller.
| Kind of team | Earned awards | Everyone receives |
|---|---|---|
| Youth tackle | Four to six: three units, effort, most improved | A team piece for every player |
| Flag football | One MVP per team, or none | A medallion or small award |
| Freshman or JV | Three units and most improved | Often nothing extra |
| Varsity | Three units, one per position group, captains, academic | Senior recognition |
For the arithmetic, including coaches, managers and trainers, see how many awards for a banquet. Sports award categories has the awards every sport shares.
Presenting the awards
Football has an advantage most sports do not: a coach for every room. Let each position coach present the award for their group. They know the reason better than the head coach, and the players in that room stand up together when the name is read.
- Open with special teams, so the unit is not squeezed in at the end.
- Then defense, then offense, group by group.
- Captains and seniors next, with the head coach.
- Most valuable player last.
Keep each presentation to one story and one statistic. If the team is thanking its head coach, that comes after the MVP, and coach awards covers the plaque. For what to say at the microphone, see how to present an award.
What goes on the award, and ordering
Add the position under the award name. It takes one line and makes the piece belong to that player.
Pancake Award
Left Tackle · Devon Ruiz
Riverside Football
2026 Season
We build football awards from your team logo and colors in acrylic, wood and metal: individual pieces cut to a helmet or crest, semi-custom awards for a full roster, and MVP trophies for the top award. There is no minimum order, design is free and you approve a proof before production. Award lists, roster counts and banquet sets are on football trophies, and the wider banquet plan is on end-of-season awards. Work back from the banquet date and check how far in advance to order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What awards are given at a football banquet?
Most banquets give offensive, defensive and special teams player of the year, an MVP, most improved and a coach’s award. Larger programs add one award per position group, captain recognition and an academic award.
What are good awards for offensive linemen?
A knockdown-block award for one lineman and a unit award for the whole line, based on sacks allowed or rushing totals behind them, recognize work that rarely shows up in the box score.
Should special teams get their own award?
Yes. A special teams player of the year is the minimum. Programs with dependable specialists often add awards for the kicker, punter, long snapper and coverage units.
Who should present football awards at the banquet?
Position coaches for their group’s awards, and the head coach for captains, seniors and MVP. It keeps each presentation short and specific.
Do youth football players all get awards?
Most youth programs give every player a team piece and keep earned awards to a handful, mostly effort and improvement.
Awards for the whole team?
Send the team name, logo, colors and your award list. We design one matching set for the whole banquet and send a proof before anything is produced.
See team awards
