TCU’s Eric McAlister and Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez Named Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week (Week #4 – Sept. 23)
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending September 20.
About the Award: This is the 22nd year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. It is the nation’s longest running Player of Week award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ERIC MCALISTER, TCU
Senior, Wide Receiver, Azle, TX
Eric McAlister had eight receptions for 254 yards, the second most in a single game in program history as TCU defeated SMU, 35-24, in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, McAlister also caught three touchdowns (27, 70 and 44 yards).
Notes: It is the 12th time since 2004 that a TCU player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors. McAlister is the first TCU honoree since former former Horned Frog quarterback Max Duggan (Oct. 2, 2022).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JACOB RODRIGUEZ, TEXAS TECH
Junior, Linebacker, Wichita Falls, TX
Jacob Rodriguez led 17th-ranked Texas Tech to a 34-10 victory at 16th-ranked Utah. Rodriguez had 11 tackles, while also adding one forced fumble and one interception. The Red Raiders created four forced turnovers in the win – a season high – against a Utah offense that entered the game averaging 45.7 points a game.
Notes: It is the eighth time a Texas Tech player has earned Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors since 2004 and the first since former linebacker Jordyn Brooks (Oct. 6, 2019).
Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team.
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 Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
