Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces Players to Watch for 2009 award

Courtesy of the Walter Camp Award

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of fifteen “Players to Watch” for its 2009 Player of the Year award, the fourth-oldest college football award in the nation. Last year’s recipient, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, headlines the 15-player list, which includes four quarterbacks, four running backs, four wide receivers and three defensive standouts.

“It’s been an exciting college football season with many teams and players still in the hunt for national recognition,” Foundation president Alphonse Paolillo, Jr. said. “We’ve identified some outstanding players and we know the final weeks of the regular season should be even more thrilling.”

A list of five finalists will be announced on Wednesday, December 2. The 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be presented live on Thursday, December 10 during the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN SportsCenter.

The winner will receive his trophy at the Foundation’s annual national awards banquet on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. Sponsorships and tickets are available by calling (203) 288-CAMP.

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 – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and continue the tradition of selecting an annual All-America team.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Visit www.ncfaa.org.

2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Players to Watch”

Toby Gerhart, Senior, RB, Stanford - 1,395 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns

Mardy Gilyard, Senior, WR, Cincinnati – Averaging over 180 all-purpose yardage a game

Jerry Hughes, Senior, DL, TCU – 13 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks

Mark Ingram, Soph., RB, Alabama – 1,297 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns

Case Keenum, Junior, QB, Houston – Leads nation with 4,194 passing yards and 31 touchdowns

Dion Lewis, Freshman, RB, Pittsburgh – 1,291 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns

Rolando McClain, Junior, LB, Alabama – 77 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions

Colt McCoy, Senior, QB, Texas – Completing 72.3% of passes for 2,792 yards and 19 touchdowns

Kellen Moore, Soph., QB, Boise State – Leads nation with 172.49 passing efficiency

Jacquizz Rodgers, Soph., RB, Oregon State – 1,545 rushing & receiving yards and 18 touchdowns

Jordan Shipley, Senior WR, Texas – 81 receptions for 1,096 yards and 8 touchdowns

C.J. Spiller, Senior, WR/KR, Clemson – Averaging 195.2 all-purpose yards a game

Ndamukong Suh, Senior, DT, Nebraska – 14 QB hurries, 11 tackles for loss, 8 pass breakups and 5 sacks

Golden Tate, Junior, WR, Notre Dame – 1,174 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns

Tim Tebow, Senior, QB, Florida – Has passed for 10 touchdowns and rushed for 12 more