Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy faced plenty of daunting challenges during his career. But one that occurred off the field in Fort Worth sticks with him. That was in 2010 when McCoy was preparing to speak as he received the prestigious Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top college quarterback.
“I had to follow all the scholarship winners,” he said. “Really, they were the star of the show. Their speeches, their accomplishments. It was a really tall task.”
Now, as a member of the Davey O’Brien Foundation board and the managing partner of the HPI Real Estate Services & Investments branch in Fort Worth, McCoy is excited that the soon to be 50-year-old organization has approved a substantial increase in the scholarship dollars for those high school scholar-athletes he was in awe of then.
The foundation’s board voted earlier to increase its financial commitment to $50,000 for the winner and $10,000 each for the other four finalists. The $90,000 annual commitment more than doubles its previous annual giving level. Since its founding in 1977, the Davey O’Brien Foundation has distributed over $1.4 million in scholarships and university grants.
Maile Farden, Fernando Mendoza and Gary Patterson pose beside the Davey O’Brien Award trophy during the foundation’s annual awards event at The Fort Worth Club. The ceremony honors collegiate quarterbacks and high school student-athletes for excellence in athletics, academics and leadership. (Courtesy | Davey O’Brien Foundation, Sharon Ellman)
“The high school winners are the people who steal the show every year,” McCoy said. “Their speeches, their character, their resumes, honestly it’s always amazing.”
David O’Brien Jr., chairman of the High School Scholarship Committee and son of the organization’s namesake, said the organization was ecstatic about the commitment to increasing the amount of the high school scholarship.
“I have long said that this award is the one that would make my dad most proud, and to be able to further help these outstanding student-athletes in their life journeys is a thrill,” he said.
O’Brien Jr.’s father, Davey O’Brien, is the TCU quarterback 1938 Heisman Trophy winner — given annually to the nation’s best college football player — whose name anchors the award. He led the Horned Frogs to a national championship in 1938 and followed that up with a professional football career before donning a shield as special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The scholarship program, partially underwritten by Higginbotham and Simmons Bank, honors exceptional senior student-athletes in North Texas. One student per public or private school in the North Texas region is nominated, and a foundation committee selects five finalists from the more than 100 candidates.
Recipients of the award are chosen based on scholastic achievements, community service, character, leadership and varsity sports participation. The selection committee also conducts in-person interviews with all five finalists.
The 2026 winner will be announced Nov. 17 at the annual scholarship luncheon at The Fort Worth Club. The Davey O’Brien High School Scholarship applies to the college or university of the winner’s choice and may be used for undergraduate or graduate studies within 10 years of receiving the award.
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
Disclosure: Higginbotham is a contributor to the Fort Worth Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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