Mason Rudolph Wins 2017 Unitas Award as Best Senior QB in College Football

Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners beat Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State on the football field this season, but the Cowboys quarterback earned a win over his counterpart Thursday.  

According to ESPN.com, Rudolph was awarded with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation's top senior quarterback. He beat out finalists Mayfield, Ohio State's J.T. Barrett, North Carolina State's Ryan Finley and Penn State's Trace McSorley.

It should be noted football success is not the only measuring stick used to evaluate the Johnny Unitas Award finalists. ESPN.com pointed out the award also factors in "character, citizenship, scholastic achievement and leadership qualities."

Rudolph pointed to those attributes when reflecting on the honor.

"Winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is a meaningful honor for me because this is a reflection of how I was raised," Rudolph said. "I was taught from a young age that there is more to life than football and I'm thankful to the committee for selecting me. I am humbled and thankful to everyone who helped me get to this point."

That's not to say Rudolph's excellence on the field didn't also contribute to this award.

He led the nation with 4,553 passing yards during the regular season, helping lead the Cowboys to a 9-3 record and the No. 19 spot in the current College Football Playoff rankings. It is also difficult to place the blame for any of Oklahoma State's defeats at the hands of Rudolph and the offense, considering the unit averaged 45.5 points per game against ranked opponents.

The senior signal-caller also threw for a career-high 35 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.

While Mayfield is still alive in the playoff picture and figures to win the Heisman Trophy, considering OddsShark deemed him a minus-2000 favorite in its latest update, Rudolph will have a trophy of his own to commemorate an impressive 2017 effort.