Walter Camp Announces 2009 Player of the Year Watch List

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.

New Haven, Conn. – 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 (quarterback, 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 Foundation’s annual national awards banquet on January 16, 2010 at the Yale University Commons 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 (http://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.

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. For more information, visit the association’s website, http://www.ncfaa.org

2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”

Jahvid Best, RB, Junior, California

Arrelious Benn, WR, Junior, Illinois

Eric Berry, DB, Junior, Tennessee%

Sam Bradford, QB, Junior, Oklahoma@

LaGarrette Blount, RB, Senior, Oregon

Dez Bryant, WR, Junior, Oklahoma State%

Daryll Clark, QB, Senior, Penn State

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Junior, Georgia Tech

Mardy Gilyard, WR, Senior, Cincinnati

Jermaine Gresham, TE, Senior, Oklahoma@

Max Hall, QB, Senior, Brigham Young

Tim Hiller, QB, Senior, Western Michigan

Jerry Hughes, DE, Senior, TCU%

Kendell Hunter, RB, Junior, Oklahoma State

MiQuale Lewis, RB, Senior, Ball State

Taylor Mays, DB, Senior, USC%

Colt McCoy, QB, Senior, Texas%

Kellen Moore, QB, Sophomore, Boise State

Todd Reesing, QB, Senior, Kansas

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Sophomore, Oregon State

Evan Royster, RB, Senior, Penn State

George Selvie, DE, Senior, South Florida#@

Jordan Shipley, WR, Senior, Texas

Rusty Smith, QB, Senior, Florida Atlantic

Jevan Snead, QB, Junior, Mississippi

Brandon Spikes, LB, Senior, Florida%

C.J. Spiller, RB, Senior, Clemson

Golden Tate, WR, Junior, Notre Dame

Tim Tebow, QB, Senior, Florida#

Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Senior, Missouri@

@ - 2008 Walter Camp Second Team All-American

% - 2008 Walter Camp First Team All-American

– 2007 Walter Camp First Team All-American

2009AAAWCFFPOYCandidates.pdf">Download the PDF

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.