The award is presented each year by the members of the Louisville Quarterback Club. Originally formed in 1938 by longtime Courier-Journal sports editor Earl Ruby with the backing of football alumni organizations from UK, UofL and Centre, the club was originally named the Kentuckiana Downtown Quarterbacks Club. The phrase "downtown quarterback" was a colloquialism used by Ruby for football fans who liked to chatter and "quarterback" games from the stands or from the comfort of their chair at home