FRISCO, Texas — On Saturday night, Tommy Mellott, the star quarterback for Montana State, was honored with the Walter Payton Award, recognizing him as the outstanding offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. This accolade comes just two days before Mellott’s top-ranked Bobcats are set to face off against North Dakota State in the championship game.
Mellott, affectionately known as “Touchdown Tommy,” narrowly triumphed over North Dakota State’s Cam Miller and Southern Utah’s Targhee Lambson in the award voting which was revealed during the FCS Awards Banquet. He garnered a total of 147 points, including 16 votes for first place. Miller received 131 points with 14 first-place votes, while Lambson accumulated 115 points, securing five first-place votes himself.
In reaction to the honor, Mellott expressed his gratitude, stating, “Very humbling moment. I’m very, very honored.” The quarterback’s impressive performance has steered the Big Sky champion Bobcats to an undefeated 15-0 record. Hailing from Butte, Montana, the senior quarterback has distinguished himself further by topping The Associated Press FCS All-America team and earning the title of Walter Camp FCS Player of the Year. His statistics reflect remarkable prowess, as he leads in both passing efficiency and total points accounted for.
Reflecting on his journey, Mellott noted, “It’s a surreal moment for sure. Three years ago I was on the sideline after being injured in the national championship game, and I was talking on the mic to the quarterback coach at the time, Coach (Taylor) Housewright, and he said, ‘If you don’t become the Walter Payton Award winner, we failed you.’ So, I think it’s just a testament to what we’ve done as a program.”
Montana State is scheduled to clash with North Dakota State on Monday night at Toyota Stadium. Additionally, the Bobcats’ head coach, Brent Vigen, was recognized with the Eddie Robinson Award for being named Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, Central Arkansas defensive end David Walker took home the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the top defensive player in the division.
