Or what took so long?

Last year, the Associated Press Sports Editors gave their top honor, the Red Smith Award, to Frank Deford. It was long overdue considering how Deford likely is on Mt. Rushmore for modern sports journalists.

This year, another one of those faces on the sportswriting peak, Dan Jenkins, finally will get his Red Smith. Last Friday, APSE announced the 83-year-old Jenkins will be honored during its summer conference in Detroit.

Why did two titans like Deford and Jenkins have to wait so long for recognition from APSE? Well, they are mainly known for their magazine work. Last year, Deford became the first magazine writer to win the Red Smith; Jenkins now is the second, mainly for his work at Sports Illustrated and Golf Digest. He still is going strong, pumping out columns for Golf Digest.

APSE is made up primarily of sports newspaper editors. So that attests to the reason why the award previously has been given to newspaper writers and editors.

However, if Deford and Jenkins don’t have a Red Smith, what’s the sense in giving out the award? At least APSE recognized these glaring omissions.

APSE president Gerry Ahern did a nice write-up on Jenkins. Here are the highlights.

“I’m delighted, I’m flattered and frankly I’m overwhelmed because I’m such a fan of most of the people who are in there and have known a great many of them,” Jenkins said. “I even knew Red pretty well.

“I used to sit next to him at Super Bowls and NFL games and was a great admirer of his. I used to quote stuff to him, his stuff. He was such a wonderful, gentle, terrific guy and helpful to any other writer, any young guy who read him and understood his work.”

The Red Smith Award is just the latest honor for the inimitable Jenkins, who got his start in newspapers at the Fort Worth Press and Dallas Times-Herald. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012 and won the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing last year. The PGA gave him its Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award in 1995 and he entered the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 1996.

But the Red Smith Award is special, Jenkins said. The thought of being enshrined alongside Smith, Blackie Sherrod and Furman Bisher brought out emotions.

“I’ve got a few plaques hanging on my wall, but I’ve never been as thrilled about any award as I am about this one,” Jenkins said.

More from Jenkins:

“These are supposed to be fun and games as Red himself always said. I love to try and keep people honest. We have enough God-like creatures running around in Sports nowadays that someone has to try and keep their feet on the ground.

“I just say what I think and things come to me. Sometimes it’s funny and sometimes it’s not. I hate to draw blood but sometimes I do.”

Here’s who is on deck for the Red Smith:

Twelve sports journalists received nominations for the 2013 Red Smith Award. The five top vote-getters behind Jenkins (in alphabetical order) are Henry Freeman, Leigh Montville, Bob Ryan, Fred Turner and George Vecsey. In accordance with APSE rules, they will automatically be on the ballot for 2014.