Football’s Spears Selected as New Orleans’ Top Amateur Athlete
Jul 18, 2023 | Football
New Orleans – Former Tulane running back Tyjae Spears was selected as the Allstate Sugar Bowl's Outstanding Male Amateur Athlete from the Greater New Orleans area for 2022-23.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selects annual award winners in a variety of categories; it also selects Amateur Athletes of the Month and each year's Hall of Fame class. Overall, 24 individuals and three teams will be honored for their 2022-23 achievements at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Awards Banquet on August 5. Honorees are currently being announced over a two-week period, wrapping up with the Corbett Awards for the top male and female amateur athletes in the state on Friday, July 28.
Spears helped lead Tulane's football team to its magical 2022 season that resulted in its first AAC Championship, a thrilling 46-45 victory over USC in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, and the No. 9 final rankings in both the AP and the Coaches Poll. The Green Wave set an FBS record with a 10-game win improvement in a single season. Spears led the team and placed second in the American Athletic Conference with 1,581 yards. His rushing yards were the second-most in a single season in school history as were his 19 rushing touchdowns. Spears' 19 touchdowns led the conference and ranked-third nationally. His school-record average of 6.9 yards per carry ranked second in the conference and fifth in the nation. He topped 100-yards rushing nine times including the final eight games of the campaign. Spears' 1837 all-purpose yards were the third-most in school history. He was honored as the AAC Offensive Player of the Year and was named the Cotton Bowl's Most Outstanding Offensive Player after running for 205 yards and four touchdowns in the contest. Spears' ended his career placing among the top-10 at Tulane in yards per carry (6.81), career 100-yard rushing games (t-2nd - 15), career touchdowns (3rd – 31), rushing yards per game (4th – 85.58) and rushing yards (6th – 2910).
Spears was drafted in the third round (No. 81 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titas. Tulane was one of 22 schools nationally with multiple picks in the first three rounds of this year's NFL Draft as Dorian Williams also was a third round selection (No. 91 overall) by the Buffalo Bills. Spears was the highest draft choice from Tulane since 2008 when Matt Forté went 44th overall to the Chicago Bears. Since 2006, Tulane's football team has had 34 players drafted.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee has recognized the top amateur athletes from the New Orleans area since 1978. Armstrong also earned the honor last year as she becomes the sixth female to be selected multiple times. Spears is the first Tulane football player to be honored since Forté in 2007.
The other finalists for New Orleans' Outstanding Female Amateur Athlete honor were Tulane's Carla Bernat (golf) and Kristen O'Handley (track & field). Bernat, a sophomore who climbed as high as No. 6 in the GolfStat NCAA Division I women's golf rankings, became the first Tulane golfer to earn American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Year honors. O'Handley, a star in the pentathlon, became Tulane's first indoor track All-American since 2016 and then followed that by earning All-America recognition at the outdoor track national championships.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee came together when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month and a variety of annual award winners. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class. While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize the top amateur athlete in the Greater New Orleans area each month as well as a range of annual awards – the honors enter their 67th year in 2023.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 102 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. The 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2024. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.
TICKETS
Tickets for the upcoming 2023 football and volleyball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Social Media
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selects annual award winners in a variety of categories; it also selects Amateur Athletes of the Month and each year's Hall of Fame class. Overall, 24 individuals and three teams will be honored for their 2022-23 achievements at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Awards Banquet on August 5. Honorees are currently being announced over a two-week period, wrapping up with the Corbett Awards for the top male and female amateur athletes in the state on Friday, July 28.
Spears helped lead Tulane's football team to its magical 2022 season that resulted in its first AAC Championship, a thrilling 46-45 victory over USC in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, and the No. 9 final rankings in both the AP and the Coaches Poll. The Green Wave set an FBS record with a 10-game win improvement in a single season. Spears led the team and placed second in the American Athletic Conference with 1,581 yards. His rushing yards were the second-most in a single season in school history as were his 19 rushing touchdowns. Spears' 19 touchdowns led the conference and ranked-third nationally. His school-record average of 6.9 yards per carry ranked second in the conference and fifth in the nation. He topped 100-yards rushing nine times including the final eight games of the campaign. Spears' 1837 all-purpose yards were the third-most in school history. He was honored as the AAC Offensive Player of the Year and was named the Cotton Bowl's Most Outstanding Offensive Player after running for 205 yards and four touchdowns in the contest. Spears' ended his career placing among the top-10 at Tulane in yards per carry (6.81), career 100-yard rushing games (t-2nd - 15), career touchdowns (3rd – 31), rushing yards per game (4th – 85.58) and rushing yards (6th – 2910).
Spears was drafted in the third round (No. 81 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titas. Tulane was one of 22 schools nationally with multiple picks in the first three rounds of this year's NFL Draft as Dorian Williams also was a third round selection (No. 91 overall) by the Buffalo Bills. Spears was the highest draft choice from Tulane since 2008 when Matt Forté went 44th overall to the Chicago Bears. Since 2006, Tulane's football team has had 34 players drafted.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee has recognized the top amateur athletes from the New Orleans area since 1978. Armstrong also earned the honor last year as she becomes the sixth female to be selected multiple times. Spears is the first Tulane football player to be honored since Forté in 2007.
The other finalists for New Orleans' Outstanding Female Amateur Athlete honor were Tulane's Carla Bernat (golf) and Kristen O'Handley (track & field). Bernat, a sophomore who climbed as high as No. 6 in the GolfStat NCAA Division I women's golf rankings, became the first Tulane golfer to earn American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Year honors. O'Handley, a star in the pentathlon, became Tulane's first indoor track All-American since 2016 and then followed that by earning All-America recognition at the outdoor track national championships.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee came together when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month and a variety of annual award winners. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class. While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize the top amateur athlete in the Greater New Orleans area each month as well as a range of annual awards – the honors enter their 67th year in 2023.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 102 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. The 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2024. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.
TICKETS
Tickets for the upcoming 2023 football and volleyball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Social Media
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
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