Gilbert Gets College Football Performance Award

Oklahoma State senior cornerback Justin Gilbert is the 2013 recipient of the College Football Performance Award as the nation's top defensive back, it was announced Thursday.

No other school has a longer Performance Award history than Oklahoma State. Perrish Cox (2008 kickoff returner), Dez Bryant (2008 wide receiver), Justin Blackmon (2010 wide receiver), Quinn Sharp (2009 kickoff specialist, 2011 kickoff specialist), and Justin Gilbert (2013 defensive back) have all finished seasons with the strongest performances at their respective positions.

"On behalf of the College Football Performance Awards, I congratulate 2013 Defensive Back Trophy recipient, Justin Gilbert, on an outstanding season for the Cowboys," said Brad Smith, executive director of the College Football Performance Awards. "Gilbert finished the season not only with the strongest defensive back performance but the strongest career kickoff return performance in Division I FBS college football."

The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Twenty-one CFPA winners have been first-round NFL Draft selections.

The award is the latest in a long list for Gilbert this season, as he has also been honored as a Jim Thorpe Award finalist, first-team Walter Camp All-American, first-team FWAA All-American, second-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-Big 12 Coaches selection and first-team All-Big 12 Associated Press selection, among several other honors.