Valor Christian’s Dylan McCaffrey named Colorado’s Gatorade football player of the year
Valor Christian quarterback Dylan McCaffrey has been named the Gatorade football player of the year for Colorado.
McCaffrey, a senior, helped the Eagles win the Class 5A championship earlier this month. He threw for 31 touchdowns and 2,796 yards, and also rushed for 10 scores and 579 yards as Valor went 11-3.
A Michigan recruit, he has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
“Dylan has had an exceptional career,” Valor Christian coach Rod Sherman said in a statement. “He has developed into the top leader on our squad. He has never been about his stats, records or anything of the like.”
With this award, McCaffrey becomes a finalist for the national player of the year award, which will be announced later this month. He is also a finalist for the Maxwell Football Club High School Player of the Year, set to be announced in January.
McCaffrey has been a starter since he was a sophomore, and played in four state championship games. He has helped the Eagles win three championships over the course of his career.
The 2016 grad finished his career with seven entries into the state record book, including fourth for total touchdowns (120), and third for total offense (9,900).
“I don’t know that this state will realize how good Dylan was until Dylan is gone,” Sherman told CHSAANow.com after the 5A semifinals. “He’s an unbelievable quarterback.”
McCaffrey was named the 5A football player of the year as part of CHSAA’s all-state team last season. This year’s team comes out this week.
Started in 1985-86, the Gatorade award has been honoring the top football players in Colorado for more than three decades. This is believed to be the first time that brothers have won the award — McCaffrey’s older brother, Christian, was a two-time winner in 2012 and 2013.
