Gators star tight end Kyle Pitts wins John Mackey Award

“Not winning it last year kind of put a chip on my shoulder,” Pitts said Thursday after earning the award. “That was something I took into the offseason. That was something I wrote in my room, in my locker. ... I kept that in the back of my mind in order to win this great achievement.”

Established in 2000, the award is chosen by a selection committee comprised of sportswriters, former players and and former Mackey Award winners. The two other finalists were Iowa State’s Charlier Kolar and Texas A&M’s Jalen Wydermeyer.

Pitts ran away with the 2020 award, beginning Week 1 with a four-touchdown day at Ole Miss. He finished the season with 12 scoring grabs, a school record at the position, on…