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The state’s best gathered at Nissan Stadium Tuesday afternoon for the annual TSSAA Mr. Football awards banquet.
Players from every corner of the state waited anxiously for their name to be called. Just under an hour in, all 10 award winners had been announced and were headed to the depths of the stadium for the interview process.
Several players in the 615 Preps coverage area had the chance to bring home that coveted award. However, three left the stadium with the award in hand.
Those three were Ravenwood senior and Auburn signee Donovan Starr, Page senior and Louisville signee Eric Hazzard and 2026 five-star Nashville Christian quarterback Jared Curtis.
We caught up with each of the three winners to talk about what winning the award means to each of them.
Ravenwood’s Donovan Starr heads to Auburn as the Class 6A Mr. Football winner
On a day where most players taking home Mr. Football awards were on the offensive side of the ball, four-star Ravenwood defensive back Donovan Starr took one home for the defense.
Leading the Raptor’s potent defense this year, Starr racked up 46 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and three pass breakups during the regular season.
“A lot goes through my mind,” Starr said reflecting on the win. “I worked really hard to get here. It’s definitely blessing to be in this position.”
Starr was able to beat out a very talented field of finalists that included stand out back Oakland junior athlete Craig Tutt from Oakland and Collierville EDGE Samuel Iroh.
“I mean there was a lot of great players up there with me,” Starr said. ” I had confidence in myself, but I was just blessed to be in that position. Now that I won I’m just even more blessed.”
For Ravenwood, Starr becomes the first ever skill position player to win Mr. Football. He’s the first player outright since Crews Holt won the Mr. Football Kicker of the Year award in 2015.
While this season did not end in a gold ball for the Raptors, Starr is still proud of the work his team put in to make it to the semifinals.
“This season was a great season,” Starr said. “I’m proud of us, proud of how we did and how we handled business. It’s sad how we went out, but I’m glad we set the stage for the other kids in the next generations after us.”
Starr will now be headed to Auburn to join a top 10 recruiting class for the Tigers.
Page’s Eric Hazzard becomes the school’s first Mr. Football winner
Eric Hazzard has wired tirelessly over the last four years to establish himself as the greatest player to ever come out of Page High School.
Playing 60 games in his career, including four state championship games, Hazzard capped off his high school career becoming the school’s first ever Mr. Football winner.
“It’s pretty cool to think about,” Hazzard said. “I think I leave the school with the most high school games played so that’s another great honor. It’s a great school and to bring this back, it shows just how much our football program has grown.
,,,I was on the first team to make it to state and to be able to show all I know and give it to this next generation of players, that’s huge.”
On the stage alongside Hazzard was Southwind quarterback Kelvin Perkins, last year’s winner, and Hazzard’s long-time friend and teammate Brenden Anes.
Friends since their childhood, Anes and Hazzard formed the backbone of a defense that started off the 2024 season with six straight shutout. Up until the 5A championship game against Sevier County, the Patriots had not allowed more than seven points in a game.
While they didn’t get to go out as state champions like they had hoped, getting to share the stage one last time together is something Hazzard said he’ll never forget.
“We’ve been ride-or-die since the beginning of it,” Hazzard said. “When he came to Page, it was us. We were the best duo in the 615.
…over and over again you saw just how well we worked together. Him on one side and me on the other, that prevented a lot of teams from doing what they wanted to do. Both of us up there together shows a lot about what Page is and the culture we formed together.”
Jared Curtis caps off an incredible junior season as the Division II-A Mr. Football
No player in the state has had a better season than Nashville Christian junior Jared Curtis.
Last Thursday he accounted for six total touchdowns to lead the Eagles to their first state title since 2015. A day later he was named the 2024 Gatorade Tennessee Football Player of the Year.
On Tuesday Curtis capped off an unforgettable junior season by winning this year’s Division II-A Mr. Football award.
“This means a lot because I’ve been working for this for a long time state championship wise,” Curtis said. “To get Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Football on top of it, I’m grateful for all of it. I’m looking to come back again and do it next year.”
Curtis won the award over Tipton-Rosemark’s Nix Fullen and last year’s winner, Jackson Christian receiver Jay’len Mosley.
Even with Mosley on the stand next to him, many viewed Curtis as the favorite to win this year’s award. During the regular season he threw for 2,263 yards and 29 touchdowns. He improved his ground game as well rushing for 444 yards and 12 more touchdowns.
Curtis said he had nothing but respect for Mosley. The two squared off in the Division II-A semis, a game Nashville Christian won soundly.
“We had a big game plan for him going into the semis because of how good he is,” Curtis said. “He’s a great player and it took a lot of effort from our guys to be able to cover him.”
Even with all of the accolades accumulated this season, Curtis isn’t satisfied.
He’s one of the hottest names on the recruiting trail following his October decommitment from Georgia. A top-10 player in the country for the 2026 class, he’s well aware that business is far from done.
A senior season without another gold ball and Mr. Football award coming home with him is something Curtis said he simply won’t allow.
“We just need to keep working in the offseason and doing what we do,” Curtis said. “Day by day, and practice by practice, we just need to keep the guys together and keep moving forward. I hope to come back and win it all again next year.”
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