Jaxson Dart Named 2020-21 Gatorade® National Football Player Of The Year

DRAPER, Utah, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36^th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Jaxson Dart of Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah is the 2020-21 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Dart won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the field, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Football Player of the Year winners who have combined for six NFL MVPs awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, six NFL first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence virtually surprised Dart with the news, while his family, coaches and teammates showed up with the trophy at school. Check out a video of the announcement here.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Dart as the nation's best high school football player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Dart from more than one million high school football players nationwide.

Competition for the national award was fierce. Dart topped the list of state winners in football who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 36 with signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Division I colleges/universities, 20 First Team All-State selections (including two 2019 selections due to coronavirus pandemic season cancellations) and 13 with a GPA of 4.0 and above.

"I can't really recall a quarterback improving from junior to senior year to the degree of Jaxson Dart, who took his game to an elite level this past fall," said Steven Wiltfong, director of recruiting for 247Sports. "A four-year starter, he made the game look like everyone else was moving in slow motion as he racked up nearly 6,000 yards of total offense and 79 total touchdowns, 67 of them coming through the air. Accurate to all levels of the field, he's a strong-armed passer with a high football IQ. He added a running element to his game this past season, breaking teams down when he pulled the ball down as well. I think Dart is a national championship-caliber quarterback at the next level, and I'm excited to see what he does at USC."

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior quarterback passed for 4,691 yards and 67 touchdowns this past season, leading the Chargers to a 14-0 record and the Class 6A state championship. Dart completed 240 of 345 passes, throwing just four interceptions, while also rushing for 1,195 yards and 12 TDs on 128 carries. The MaxPreps National Player of the Year, he was also selected Mr. Football by the Deseret News. Dart was ranked as the nation's No. 19 recruit in the Class of 2021 by ESPN.         

Dart has assisted elderly members of his community and has volunteered locally on behalf of a food bank and clothing donation drives.

Dart has maintained a 3.98 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship at the University of Southern California this fall.

"Time and again, we see Gatorade National Players of the Year go on to great things, such as playing on professional teams, winning National Championships, as well as becoming coaches and role models for future generations of athletes," Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O'Brien. "Jaxson Dart joins a list of impressive student-athletes who have won the prestigious award and we are confident he is headed for a lifetime of similar accomplishments."

Each year a selection committee evaluates the nation's top talent in the District of Columbia and all 50 states, choosing national winners in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track and field.

Gatorade is dedicated to recognizing, supporting and keeping athletes in the game because of the lifelong skills sports instill on and off the field. Since the program's inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators. Previous winners include a distinguished list of athletes, such as Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Jayson Tatum, Derek Jeter, Elena Delle Donne and many other sports icons.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

About Gatorade

The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets the needs of consumers who participate in Sports and Fitness, through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve and Bolt24. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep understanding of the unique needs and occasions of different types of sports and fitness. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by more than 50-year history of studying the best athletes in the world and sports-nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, allowing it to provide scientifically-formulated products that meet athletes' needs both on and off the field. For more information and a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE The Gatorade Company