page_title: Mid-American Conference football individual awards
section_title: Vern Smith Leadership Award
hierarchical_section_title: Mid-American Conference football individual awards / Vern Smith Leadership Award
caption_attribution_description: English: Garrett Wolfe of the Chicago Bears
context_page_description: The Mid-American Conference football awards are given annually by the Mid-American Conference at the conclusion of each college football season. The conference gives out a total of five awards, the Offensive, Defensive, and Freshman Players of the Year, the Coach of the Year, and the Vern Smith Leadership Award, which is given to the league's MVP in that season. The Vern Smith Award is selected by a vote of the coaches in the MAC while the remaining awards are selected by the MAC News Media Association.
context_section_description: The Vern Smith Leadership Award was started in 1982 by the Downtown Toledo Athletic Club.  In that year, it was known as the Jefferson Award and the name was changed to honor the University of Toledo Athletic Director Vern Smith in 1987.  The award is given to the top football player in the Mid-American Conference.  Only four players have won the award multiple times, with the most recent winner, Larry English, being the only non-quarterback to win it.  Northern Illinois leads with seven awards all-time, followed by Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Marshall tied with four awards in each school.  The Vern Smith award is the only one voted on by the coaches, with the Coach of the Year, as well as the Players of the Year are selected by the media.
caption: Garrett Wolfe won the Vern Davis award in 2006 after setting many MAC rushing records.
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