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2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”
DE George Selvie – South Florida
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of thirty “players to watch” for its prestigious Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade.
“We are proud to continue the great work of Walter Camp and recognize the best college football players in the nation,” Foundation president Alphonse Paolillo, Jr. said. “This watch list is a great start to what is shaping up to be another exciting year of college football.”
Six players on the 2009 watch list, including the 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year Colt McCoy (QB, Texas), were named to last year’s Walter Camp All-America First Team. The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in early November. The 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on the ESPN SportsCenter on December 10. The winner will then receive his trophy at the annual national awards banquet on January 18, 2010 at Yale University in New Haven. Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation (www.waltercamp.org) – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.
2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”
Jahvid Best, RB, Junior, California
Arrelious Benn, WR, Junior, Illinois
Eric Berry, DB, Junior, Tennessee - 2008 Camp 1st Team All-American
Sam Bradford, QB, Junior, Oklahoma - 2008 Camp 2nd Team All-American
John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List
Photo – TE Dennis Pitta - BYU
Senior tight end Dennis Pitta is one of 30 individuals named to the 2009 John Mackey Award watch list, an award given annually to the most outstanding tight end in Division I-A college football. In addition to demonstrating outstanding athletic prowess on the field, the award also stands for positive sportsmanship-like behavior, good academic standing & exceptional leadership abilities. Pitta, a two-time 1st-team all-Mountain West Conference performer, ranked 3rd in the MWC and 21st nationally with 1,083 receiving yards in 2008. His total receiving yards also ranked 2nd among tight ends in the FBS behind only James Casey of Rice (1,329 yards). Pitta recorded four 100-plus yard receiving games in 2008, including the best single-game performance by a tight end with 213 yards against Northern Iowa on Aug. 30. NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.
The John Mackey Award presented since 2001, lists eight NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham ('02) of the Broncos, Kellen Winslow II ('03) of the Bucs, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller ('04) of the Steelers, Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jaguars, Matt Spaeth ('06) of the of the 2008 Super Bowl Champion Steelers, Fred Davis ('07) of the Redskins and the 2008 John Mackey Award recipient Chase Coffman of the Bengals.
The award recipient is determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee, which is composed of respected members of the media and former NFL players, and will be announced on December 10, 2009.
The 2009 John Mackey Award preseason watch list was released by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee
2009 John Mackey Award Watch List
Walter Payton & Buck Buchanan '08 Award Lists
Photo - QB Liam Coen - Massachusetts
QB Liam Coen - Massachusetts Heads the Walter Payton '08 Award list
QB Liam Coen of Massachusetts heads the Walter Payton Award list for the 2008 season. Coen is the UMass team Captain and All-American who started his fourth season this weekend. He has been a decorated QB who led UMass to the National Championship game as a sophomore and holds nearly every UMass QB passing record for a game, season and career. He combines fine size, arm strength with great play-action ability and nice mobility in the pocket to be one of the more efficient QBs in college football. Over his long starting career, he has compiled a 29-8 in his 37 starts dating to 2005 with a 29-5 record vs. FCS teams. In the UMass '08 season opener on Aug. 30th, he went 10 of 20 passes for 92 yards and 3 TDs in leading UMass to a 28-16 opening victory over Albany (N.Y.).
2008 Doak Walker Award Candidates:
Photo - LeSean McCoy - Pittsburgh
Tarrion Adams (Sr.), Tulsa
Reggie Arnold (Jr.), Arkansas St
Kahill Bell (Sr.), UCLA
Andre Brown (Sr.), North Carolina St
Donald Brown (Jr.), Connecticut
Donald Buckram (So.), UTEP
James Davis (Sr.), Clemson
Mike Davis (Sr.), South Carolina
Andre Dixon (Jr.), Connecticut
Anthony Dixon (Jr.), Mississippi St
Jonathan Dwyer (So.), Georgia Tech
Jamelle Eugene (Jr.), North Carolina St
Tyrell Fenroy (Sr.), Louisiana Lafayette
Rodney Ferguson (Sr.), New Mexico
