2012 Walter Camp All-America Team
Player of the Year Manti Te’o headlines 123rd All-America Team
For Immediate Release: December 6, 2012
NEW HAVEN, CT – University of Notre Dame senior linebacker Manti Te’o headlines the 2012 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team, the 123rd honored by the organization. The nation’s oldest All-America team was announced this evening on The Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show.
Second-ranked Alabama had the most players (4) selected to the First Team, while Southeastern Conference rival Texas A&M had three honorees and ACC champion Florida State had two. In all, 20 different schools from nine conferences were represented on the All-America First Team.
The Walter Camp All-America team is selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 124 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and certified by Marcum LLP, a New Haven-based accounting firm. Walter Camp Football Foundation President John Marks was pleased with the voting participation.
“Once again, we had more than 80 percent of the Bowl Subdivision schools participate in this year’s voting,” Marks said. “We are very appreciative of the continuing cooperation of the coaches and sports information directors in our annual effort to honor the nation’s most outstanding college players.”
A Second Team All-America selection in 2011, Te’o is a First Team honoree and was selected the 2012 Walter Camp Player of the Year after totaling 103 tackles and seven interceptions for the top-ranked Fighting Irish (12-0).
Joining Te’o on the 2012 First Team All-American defensive unit is a pair of Southeastern Conference standout junior linebackers C.J. Mosley (Alabama) and Jarvis Jones (Georgia). Jones is a repeat Walter Camp First Team All-American.
On the interior, sophomore Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina), who ranks second in the nation in sacks, is joined by senior Star Lotulelei (Utah) and juniors Bjoern Werner (Florida State) and Damontre Moore (Texas A&M).
In the defensive secondary, Phillip Thomas (Fresno State), the nation’s leader in interceptions, is a First Team honoree along with fellow seniors Dee Milliner (Alabama), Jordan Poyer (Oregon State) and Johnthan Banks (Mississippi State).
The punter is senior Ryan Allen (Louisiana Tech), who leads the nation with a 48.0 yard-per-punt average. Allen was a Walter Camp Second Team All-American last year. The kick returner is senior Dri Archer (Kent State), who has three kickoff returns for touchdowns this season.
Leading the offensive unit is redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M). Manziel, who ranks second in the nation in total offense (383.3 yards per game), has passed for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,181 yards and 19 more scores for the Aggies (10-2).
Joining Manziel in the offensive backfield are three running backs – seniors Montee Ball (Wisconsin) and Kenjon Barner (Oregon), and sophomore Ka’Deem Carey (Arizona). A Second Team All-American a year ago, Ball has rushed for 1,730 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Big Ten champion Badgers, while Barner has scored 21 touchdowns while averaging 135.3 rushing yards per game. Carey has been a steady force for the Wildcats and leads the nation with 1,757 rushing yards.
Sophomore Marqise Lee (USC) and senior Terrance Williams (Baylor) are the wide receivers. Lee has 112 catches for 1,860 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Williams has 95 catches for 1,764 yards and 12 touchdowns. The tight end is Zach Ertz (Stanford).
On the offensive line, two seniors – Jonathan Cooper (North Carolina) and Chance Warmack (Alabama) – are joined by juniors Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M) and Taylor Lewan (Michigan). Senior Barrett Jones (Alabama) is the offensive center, repeating as a First Team Walter Camp All-American.
Senior Dustin Hopkins (Florida State), who has connected on 24-of-28 field goals for the Seminoles, is the placekicker.
The 2012 Walter Camp Player of the Year and members of the All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. In addition, the Foundation will also recognize former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne and NFL player/coach Herm Edwards.