Walter Camp Foundation, Inc.

Arkansas’ Darren McFadden Selected as the 2007 Walter Camp Player of the Year

New Haven, CT – Arkansas junior running back Darren McFadden (Little Rock, Ark.) has been selected as the 2007 Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year. Foundation President John Barbarotta made the announcement tonight during ESPN’s 6:00 p.m. edition of SportsCenter.

The 41st recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, McFadden is the first Arkansas player to capture the honor. He is also the first player from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to win the award since 1996 (Florida QB Danny Wuerffel).

The Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the nation’s 119 Division I-A coaches and sports information directors, is strongly viewed in the college football world as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented on Saturday evening in New York City.

Other finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award included quarterbacks Dennis Dixon (Oregon), Matt Ryan (Boston College), Tim Tebow (Florida) and Chase Daniel (Missouri). “We are extremely pleased with the selection of Darren McFadden as our Player of the Year,” Barbarotta said. “His all-around offensive performance for the Razorbacks – whether it was running the ball or passing it - has been most impressive and extremely worthy of this prestigious honor.”

The 6-foot 2, 215-pound McFadden is a Walter Camp First Team All-America selection for the second straight season. During the season, McFadden set single-season records for Arkansas with 1,725 rushing yards and 2,172 all-purpose yards gained. Both marks eclipse records he set last year.

A two-time Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honoree, McFadden has scored 16 touchdowns (15 rushing, 1 receiving) and has even passed for four touchdowns this season. He had nine 100-yard rushing efforts, and tied the SEC single-game record with 321 yards in a win over South Carolina on November 3. McFadden’s best game came on November 23 when he rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns and passed for another score in a 50-48 overtime victory over then top-ranked LSU.

Through 37 career contests, McFadden has become the Razorbacks’ all-time leading rusher (4,485) and all-purpose (5,743) leader. Arkansas (8-4) will play in the 72nd AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic on Jan. 1, 2008, against the Big 12 runner-up Missouri (11-2).

McFadden and the members of the 2007 Walter Camp All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on January 12, 2008 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. Tickets ($275) are available by calling (203) 288-CAMP.

Walter Camp Player of the Year Recipients (1967-2007)

• 2007 – Darren McFadden, Arkansas
• 2006 – Troy Smith, Ohio State
• 2005 – Reggie Bush, University of Southern California
• 2004 – Matt Leinart, University of Southern California
• 2003 – Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
• 2002 – Larry Johnson, Penn State
• 2001 – Eric Crouch, Nebraska
• 2000 – Josh Heupel, Oklahoma
• 1999 – Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
• 1998 – Ricky Williams, Texas
• 1997 – Charles Woodson, Michigan
• 1996 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida
• 1995 - Eddie George, Ohio State
• 1994 – Rashaan Salaam, Colorado
• 1993 – Charlie Ward, Florida State
• 1992 - Gina Torretta, Miami
• 1991- Desmond Howard, Michigan
• 1990 – Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame
• 1989 - Anthony Thompson, Indiana
• 1988 – Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State
• 1987 – Tim Brown, Notre Dame
• 1986 – Vinny Testaverde, Miami
• 1985 - Bo Jackson, Auburn
• 1984 – Doug Flutie, Boston College
• 1983 – Mike Rozier, Nebraska
• 1982 – Herschel Walker, Georgia
• 1981 – Marcus Allen, University of Southern California
• 1980 – Hugh Green, Pittsburgh
• 1979 – Charles White, University of Southern California
• 1978 – Billy Sims, Oklahoma
• 1977 – Ken MacAfee, Notre Dame
• 1976 – Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh
• 1975 - Archie Griffin, Ohio State
• 1974 – Archie Griffin, Ohio State
• 1973 – John Cappelletti, Penn State
• 1972 – Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska
• 1971 - Pat Sullivan, Auburn
• 1970 – Jim Plunkett, Stanford
• 1969 – Steve Owens, Oklahoma
• 1968 – O.J. Simpson, University of Southern California
• 1967 - O.J. Simpson, University of Southern California

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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 to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All America team.