University of Alabama Running Back Derrick Henry Selected 2015 Walter Camp Player of the Year

University of Alabama junior running back Derrick Henry (Yulee, Fla.) has been selected as the 2015 Walter Camp Player of the Year.  The Walter Camp Player of the Year is voted on by the nation’s 129 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.

FINAL — Walter Camp 2015 POY Derrick Henry

Other finalists for the 2015 Walter Camp Player of the Year award included running back/kick returner Christian McCaffrey (Stanford), quarterback Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), quarterback Deshaun Watson (Clemson), and defensive back Desmond King (Iowa).

The 49th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, Henry is the first Crimson Tide player to win the prestigious honor. Henry is the 17^th running back to earn the award, and the first since 2007 (Darren McFadden, Arkansas). Henry is also seventh player from the Southeastern Conference to win the award, and the first since Cam Newton (Auburn, QB) in 2010.

“Derrick Henry has been a workhorse for the SEC champion Crimson Tide and his results have been most impressive,” Foundation president Robert Kauffman said. “We are pleased to recognize him as he joins an impressive list of past Player of the Year recipients.”

The 6-foot 3-inch, 242-pound Henry leads the nation with 1,986 rushing yards, which also set school and SEC season records.   He is averaging 152.8 yards per game, and has nine 100-yard rushing efforts.   Henry has scored a school-record 23 touchdowns, and dating back to last season, has scored at least one touchdown in 18 consecutive games.

Henry had four 200-yard rushing efforts this season, joining Herschel Walker (Georgia) and Bo Jackson (Auburn) as the only SEC running backs to have done so.

One of his best individual efforts came on November 28 in the Iron Bowl versus Auburn. Henry carried the ball a school-record 46 times, including the final 14 plays of the game, on his way to gaining a season-high 271 yards with one touchdown. That effort earned him Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honors.

A week later on December 5, Alabama captured the 2015 SEC championship with a 29-15 victory over Florida.   In the win, Henry rushed 44 times for 189 yards and one touchdown.

The Crimson Tide (12-1) will play Michigan State in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at AT&T Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 31, in Arlington, Tex.

Henry, along with members of the Walter Camp 2015 All-America team, will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. In addition, the Foundation will recognize three individuals – Special Olympics CEO Tim Shriver (Distinguished American), former Florida State and Oakland Raider standout wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff (Man of the Year) and former Grambling State All-American and NFL quarterback Doug Williams (Alumnus of the Year) – with major awards.

Please visit www.waltercamp.org or call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267) for more information.

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. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.

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 http://www.ncfaa.org.

Walter Camp Players of the Year

2015 – Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama

2014 – Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

2013 – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

2012 – Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame

2011 – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2010 – Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

2009 – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

2008 – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

2007 – Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

2006 – Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State

2005 – Reggie Bush, RB, USC

2004 – Matt Leinart, QB, USC

2003 – Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh

2002 – Larry Johnson, RB, Penn State

2001 – Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska

2000 – Josh Heupel, QB, Oklahoma

1999 – Ron Dayne, RB, Wisconsin

1998 – Ricky Williams, RB, Texas

1997 – Charles Woodson, DB, Michigan

1996 – Danny Wuerffel, QB, Florida

1995 – Eddie George, RB, Ohio State

1994 – Rashaan Salaam, RB, Colorado

1993 – Charlie Ward, QB, Florida State

1992 – Gino Torretta, QB, Miami

1991 – Desmond Howard, WR, Michigan

1990 – Raghib Ismail, WR, Notre Dame

1989 – Anthony Thompson, RB, Indiana

1988 – Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma State

1987 – Tim Brown, WR, Notre Dame

1986 – Vinny Testaverde, QB, Miami

1985 – Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn

1984 – Doug Flutie, QB, Boston College

1983 – Mike Rozier, RB, Nebraska

1982 – Herschel Walker, RB, Georgia

1981 – Marcus Allen, RB, USC

1980 – Hugh Green, DE, Pittsburgh

1979 – Charles White, RB, USC

1978 – Billy Sims, RB, Oklahoma

1977 – Ken MacAfee, TE, Notre Dame

1976 – Tony Dorsett, RB, Pittsburgh

1975 – Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State

1974 – Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State

1973 – John Cappelletti, RB, Penn State

1972 – Johnny Rodgers, RB, Nebraska

1971 – Pat Sullivan, QB, Auburn

1970 – Jim Plunkett, QB, Stanford

1969 – Steve Owens, RB, Oklahoma

1968 – O.J. Simpson, RB, USC

1967 – O.J. Simpson, RB, USC