That Life Visuals: Flip through The 13th Jet Award Banquet Photos

Return specialists Zachariah Branch and DeJuan Groce honored at Omaha event

Photos by Tootie Claxton of That Life Visuals

The 13th Jet Award Banquet took place on April 4 at Omaha's Baxter Arena, attracting over 800 attendees. The event honors outstanding kickoff and punt return specialists, both current and legacy - and featured a keynote address by Danny Woodhead, with post-event entertainment courtesy of Larry the Cable Guy.

Since its inception in 2011, the Jet Award has been presented to college football's premier return specialist each season. Named in tribute to Johnny "the Jet" Rodgers, the 1972 Heisman Trophy winner, the award celebrates outstanding performance in return play.

This year's accolade was awarded to Zachariah Branch, a freshman wide receiver from the University of Southern California, and the legacy award went to DeJuan Groce, a former cornerback for Nebraska (1999-2002). The event was also graced by the presence of notable former players like Rick Upchurch, Gregg Pruitt, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch, Rich Glover, Jerry Murtaugh, Aaron Taylor, and James "Shack" Harris, who was the first Black player to start an American Football League game.

The beneficiary of the Johnny Rodgers Foundation this year is the Metropolitan Community College in Omaha. To date, the event has raised over $100,000, which funds scholarships for students attending MCC. These scholarships support over 80 students enrolled in various programs such as Construction, Health, IT, and Automotive, who maintain an average GPA of 3.0.

Enjoy a photo gallery from this year's festivities below.