2023 Walter Camp Player of Year Watchlist will be announced Friday, August 11
The 2023 Walter Camp Player of Year Watch List will be announced on Friday, August 31 as part of the National College Football Awards Association annual watchlist release.
Here is the schedule of releases, all of which will come at Noon ET each day.
Earlier this year, Walter Camp announced its preseason All-America team, presented by 777 Partners
Mon., July 31: Maxwell Award
Tue., Aug 1: Outland Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award
Thu., Aug. 3: Paul Hornung Award and Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 4: Mackey Award and Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Tue., Aug. 8: Davey O’Brien Award
Wed., Aug. 9: Doak Walker Award
Thu., Aug. 10: Butkus Award and Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award
Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award
USC quarterback Caleb Williams was the 2022 Walter Camp Player of Year
Kellen Winslow and Jim Covert to be Inducted into the Ring of Honor
2023 Walter Camp Preseason FBS All-America Teams, presented by 777 Partners
The 2023 Walter Camp Preseason Football Bowl Subdivision All-America Teams are presented by 777 Partners, a Miami-based alternative investment firm that invests across several high-growth business sectors, including insurance, consumer and commercial finance, litigation finance, direct lending, aviation, and sports, media and entertainment. Within the latter, 777 Partners has acquired an unrivaled portfolio of seven international soccer clubs, the British Basketball League and a vast catalogue of sports media rights. These industries represent areas of unbridled performance, each one supported by the other in one world-class shared services model.
2023 Walter Camp Preseason Video
A Little History
Walter Camp is the nation’s oldest college football All-America team. 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.
Typically announced in early December, the Walter Camp All-America teams are selected by the FBS head coaches and sports information directors.
• From 1889 to 1964, eleven players were selected.
• In 1965, both offensive and defensive teams were picked.
• In 1972, the first punter (Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi) was honored.
• In 1975, the first placekicker (Chris Bahr, Penn State) was selected.
• In 1998, the first-ever Second Team All-America team was recognized.
• In 2001, the first kick returner (Herb Haygood, Michigan State) was picked.
Good to See You Again
Twelve players who earned 2022 Walter Camp All-America First and Second Team honors are on the 2023 preseason list, led by USC junior quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams, who was also selected as the 2022 Walter Camp Player of Year, was a First Team honoree last season. Three other 2022 First Team honorees – Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison, Jr.; Michigan RB Blake Corum; and Indiana KR Jaylin Lucas – are 2023 preseason First Team All-Americans.
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State* 6-4 205 Jr. Philadelphia, PA
WR Rome Odunze, Washington 6-3 211 Jr. Las Vegas, NV
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia # 6-4 230 Jr. Napa, CA
OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame # 6-7 317 Jr. North Oaks, MN
OL Olu Fashanu, Penn State # 6-6 323 Jr. Waldorf, MD
OL Cooper Beebe, Kansas State 6-4 332 Sr. Kansas City, MO
OL Graham Barton, Duke 6-5 311 Sr. Brentwood, TN
C Drake Nugent, Michigan 6-1 300 Gr. Lone Tree, CO
QB Caleb Williams, USC* 6-1 220 Jr. Washington, D.C.
RB Blake Corum, Michigan* 5-8 210 Sr. Marshall, VA
RB Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss 5-11 210 So. Pike Road, AL
PK Joshua Karty, Stanford 6-2 207 Sr. Burlington, NC
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
DL Jared Verse, Florida State 6-4 248 Jr. Dayton, OH
DL Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois # 6-2 295 So. St. Petersburg, FL
DL Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati 6-2 320 So. Cincinnati, OH
DL Bralen Trice, Washington 6-4 267 Jr. Phoenix, AZ
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State # 6-2 239 Gr. Cleveland, OH
LB Jeremiah Trotter, Jr., Clemson 6-0 230 Jr. Hainesport, NJ
LB Harold Perkins, Jr., LSU 6-1 220 So. New Orleans, LA
DB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama 6-1 195 Jr. Birmingham, AL
DB Kamren Kinchens, Miami 5-11 202 Jr. Miami, FL
DB Calen Bullock, USC 6-3 190 Jr. Pasadena, CA
DB Kalen King, Penn State # 5-11 190 Jr. Detroit, MI
P Kai Kroeger, South Carolina # 6-4 220 Sr. Lake Forest, IL
KR Jaylin Lucas, Indiana * 5-9 185 So. Houma, LA
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State 6-1 205 Jr. Steilacoom, WA
WR Xavier Worthy, Texas 6-1 164 Jr. Fresno, CA
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota 6-7 270 Sr. St. Cloud, MN
OL Zak Zinter, Michigan 6-6 315 Sr. North Andover, MA
OL Christian Haynes, Connecticut 6-3 305 Sr. Bowie, MD
OL Beaux Limmer, Arkansas 6-5 306 Sr. Tyler, TX
OL JC Latham, Alabama 6-6 335 Jr. Oak Creek, WI
C Zach Frazier, West Virginia 6-3 306 Jr. Fairmont, WV
QB Drake Maye, North Carolina 6-4 225 So. Huntersville, NC
RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin 6-2 236 Jr. Fond Du Lac, WI
RB Raheim Sanders, Arkansas 6-2 237 Jr. Rockledge, FL
PK Jonah Dalmas, Boise State 5-8 172 Sr. Meridian, ID
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
DL Mykel Williams, Georgia 6-5 265 So. Columbus, GA
DL Mekhi Wingo, LSU 6-1 295 Jr. St. Louis, MO
DL Chop Robinson, Penn State 6-3 253 Jr. Gaithersburg, MD
DL Leonard Taylor, Miami 6-3 305 Jr. Miami, FL
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion 6-1 225 Jr. Dingsman Ferry, PA
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson 6-1 225 Jr. Suwanee, GA
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia 6-1 245 Jr. Hyattsville, MD
DB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo # 6-0 200 Jr. Williston, FL
DB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame 6-0 179 So. Phoenix, AZ
DB Malaki Starks, Georgia 6-1 205 So. Jefferson, GA
DB Cole Bishop, Utah 6-2 206 Jr. Peachtree City, GA
P Tory Taylor, Iowa 6-4 230 Sr. Melbourne, Australia
KR Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State # 5-10 185 Sr. Philadelphia, PA
* – 2022 First Team Walter Camp All-America selection
# – 2022 Second Team Walter Camp All-America selection
Former USC SID Tim Tessalone Recognized as the William E. Keish Jr. Sports Communicator Award Recipient
The Walter Camp Sports Communicator award is named in memory of Bill Keish, who was a longtime Foundation member and chairman of the public relations committee. The award originated as the Foundation’s “Media Appreciation” award. It was awarded to local sports media professionals in recognition of their contributions on behalf of the WCFF. It has recently been expanded to a broader scope, recognizing contributions to sports communications.
Bill served as the public spokesman for the Connecticut State Department of Transportation, DOT, for many, many years. He retired in 1997 having served under ten DOT Commissioners and six governors, responding to thousands of crises: including bridge collapses, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, ice storms and train crashes. He was a former city reporter in New Haven and the state bureau in Hartford for the New Haven Register from 1954
through 1967. He was also a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Bill passed away at age 69 on September 21, 2001.
This year, the Keish award goes to Tim Tessalore, the recently-retired University of Southern California sports information director. Tessalone was recognized by Foundation President Tony Mortali at the Walter Camp Alumni Brunch in New Haven.
Tim spent 43 years at USC. Tim began his USC career as a journalism student who was passionate about writing and sports, and that passion translated into propelling the USC athletic department to the front page of the sports section with other highly successful Los Angeles teams that intensely compete for news coverage. The other teams? They included the Lakers, Dodgers, Rams and USC’s bitter-rival UCLA.
During his time at USC, the school produced 54 national championship teams, 305 Olympians, and 26 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. For the Trojans’ football program, Tessalone helped promote 225 NFL draft picks, 40 Walter Camp All-America selections and two Walter Camp Players of Year (quarterback Matt Leinart, 2004 and running back Reggie Bush, 2005). More impressively, Tim worked 517 USC football games over 43 years. He is a member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame.
In 2018, Tessalone was named to the USC Athletics Hall of Fame which includes many of the great names in college and Olympic sports.
Walter Camp Foundation Announces Major Award Recipients to be Honored on March 11
In preparation for its 57th National Awards Dinner, presented by 777 Partners, the Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced its Major Award recipients.
Former two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Tom Coughlin (Syracuse ‘68) will receive the Distinguished American award.
The Walter Camp “Distinguished American” award is presented each year to an individual who has utilized his or her talents to attain great success in business, private life, or public service and who may have accomplished that which no other has done. He or she may have a record of dedication to mankind that should not pass unrecognized and a life that has been dedicated to the preservation of the American ideal. The recipient need not have participated in football but must be one who understands its lesson of self-denial, cooperation, and teamwork, and one who is a person of honesty, integrity, and dedication. He or she must be a leader, an innovator, even a pioneer, who has reached a degree of excellence that distinguishes him or her from contemporaries, as well as someone who lives within the principles of Walter Camp.
Coughlin joins previous recipients of the Walter Camp Distinguished American honor include nationally respected sportscasters Keith Jackson (1995), Pat Summerall (2004) and Verne Lundquist (2014), all-purpose television personality Regis Philbin (2003), former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (1994), world-renowned entertainer Bob Hope (1985), former college coach Eddie Robinson (1982), and former NFL standout Archie Manning.
NFL Hall of Famer and former Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Tony Boselli (USC ‘95) is the recipient of the Man of the Year honor.
The Walter Camp “Man of the Year” award honors an individual who has been closely associated with the game of football as a player, coach or close attendant to the game. He must have attained a measure of success and been a leader in his chosen profession. He must have contributed to the public service for the benefit of his community, country and his fellow man. He must have an impeccable reputation for integrity and must be dedicated to our American Heritage and the philosophy of Walter Camp.
Boselli joins a distinguished list of former “Man of the Year” winners, including Roger Staubach (Navy), Gale Sayers (Kansas), Dick Butkus (Illinois), John Elway (Stanford), Jerome Bettis (Notre Dame), and Curtis Martin (Pittsburgh).
Former New England Patriot Ty Law (Michigan ’94) is the Alumni Award recipient.
The Walter Camp “Alumni of the Year” award is bestowed on a worthy individual who has distinguished himself in the pursuit of excellence as an athlete, in his personal career and in doing good works for others. He must be an individual who has exhibited dedication and good moral conduct in achieving success. He must be a compassionate and unselfish person who contributes his time and assistance in helping to encourage and comfort fellow human beings less talented and less fortunate than himself. He must be an individual who takes pride in having been a Walter Camp All-American.
Former Alumni Award recipients include including Bo Jackson (Auburn), Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh), Herschel Walker (Georgia), Tim Brown (Notre Dame), Doug Williams (Grambling State), Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh) and Von Miller (Texas A&M).
Tom Coughlin – Distinguished American
Two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Tom Coughlin is the recipient of the Distinguished American award. Coughlin led the New York Giants to victories in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, both times against the New England Patriots.
In all, Coughlin was a part of three Super Bowls, helping the Giants win Super Bowl XXV as the wide receivers coach under Bill Parcells. A member of the Giants Ring of Honor, Coughlin recorded a 102-90 record (.531) in 12 seasons as head coach.
Coughlin was also the inaugural coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 2005 to 2022 and leading the team to four playoff appearances and two AFC Championship Games and a 68-60 mark (.531).
Prior to his NFL head coaching career, Coughlin served three seasons at the collegiate level at Boston College where he was 21-13-1 record, a victory in the Car Quest Bowl, and a number 12 final national ranking in 1993. Coughlin also served as an assistant coach at BC, where he coached eventual Walter Camp Player of Year Doug Flutie in 1983. Coughlin started his head coaching career at Rochester Institute of Technology from 1970 to 1973.
Currently, Coughlin is the President of The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, which was created in honor of Jay McGillis. Jay was a special young man who developed leukemia while a member of Coach Coughlin’s team at Boston College, and subsequently lost his valiant battle with the disease. After going through the tragic events with Jay’s family, Coach Coughlin vowed that if he ever had the chance, he would create a way to help families with children battling cancer. Coach Coughlin kept his promise and started the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund.
For over 25 years, the Jay Fund has evolved in size and scope and has helped over 5,200 families and provided over $17 million in financial assistance to families in Northeast Florida and the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Area.
Coughlin is a native of Waterloo, N.Y. He played halfback for Syracuse and set the school single season pass receiving record in 1967. He also earned his master’s degree from his alma mater.
Tony Boselli – Man of Year
A 1992 Walter Camp All-American and member of the Foundation’s All-Time All-America team, Tony Boselli was a standout for the USC Trojans, where he was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection. Boselli was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
He was selected by the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars as the second player overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. Regarded as one of the NFL’s elite offensive left tackles, Boselli played seven years and persevered through numerous injuries. He was a leader of a Jaguars’ team, under the direction of head coach Tom Coughlin, that reached the AFC Championship Game in just the franchise’s second season. In 1998, he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player after helping the Jaguars to the team’s first division title.
Boselli was elite in all seven seasons he played, allowing just 15.5 sacks during his career. He played his best against the league’s best and had just 11 career holding penalties. There were four seasons in which he had no accepted holding penalties against him.
He was voted to five straight Pro Bowls (1997 to 2001) and was a three-time All-Pro (1997, 1998 and 1999). He was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team.
In 2022, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Ty Law – Alumni Award
A native of Aliquippa, Pa., Ty Law attended the University of Michigan and was three-year standout for the Wolverines. He earned Walter Camp All-America honors in 1994 and was a two-time unanimous All-Big Ten selection.
Selected by the New England Patriots in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft, Law proceeded to play 10 seasons and won three Super Bowl championships (XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX). A two-time First Team All-Pro, Law was a five-time Pro Bowl selection. Twice, he led the NFL in interceptions and was named to the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team. Law also played for the New York Jets (2005, 2008), Kansas City Chiefs (2006-2007) and Denver Broncos (2009). He finished his career with 53 interceptions.
In 2019, Law was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Major Award winners will be honored, along with the members of the 2022 Walter Camp All-America Team, Player of Year Caleb Williams (USC), Coach of Year Sonny Dykes (TCU) and Connecticut Player of Year Drew Pyne (Arizona State) at the Foundation’s 57th National Awards Dinner, presented by 777 Partners, on Saturday, March 11 in New Haven. National Awards Dinner tickets are $350 and available at https://waltercamp.org/product/awards-dinner/
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 (www.waltercamp.org,@WalterCampFF) – 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 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, www.ncfaa.org
New Canaan’s Drew Pyne Named Walter Camp 2022 Connecticut Player of the Year, presented by The Outlier Project
New Canaan’s Drew Pyne has been selected as Walter Camp’s 2022 Connecticut Player of the Year, presented by The Outlier Project. Pyne, who is now attending Arizona State, played the 2022 season for the University of Notre Dame.
The award is presented to the top college football player who is a resident and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut. The award is voted on by the Walter Camp Football Foundation membership.
Pyne assumed the starting role in the third game of the 2022 season. He led the Fighting Irish to an 8-2 record in his 10 starts, including a five-game winning streak. He completed 164-of-254 passes, for 2,021 yards (a 64.6 percentage). He threw for 22 touchdowns and had just six interceptions. He had a 155.3 quarterback rating, which ranked 20th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Pyne passed for 200 or more yards five times, including a season-high 318 against sixth-ranked USC on November 26. He threw for a season-high four touchdowns in a 35-32 win over Navy on November 12, and led the Fighting Irish to a 35-14 win over then fourth-ranked Clemson on Nov. 5. Pyne passed for one touchdown and rushed for one in the victory. Pyne’s top target during the 2022 season was Walter Camp First Team All-America tight end Michael Mayer.
In December, Pyne transferred to Arizona State and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Pyne attended New Canaan High School where he was coached by Lou Marinelli. As a senior, he completed 161 of 252 passes for 2,107 yards and 24 touchdowns and earned Walter Camp Second Team All-Connecticut honors. He ended his scholastic career as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns and led the Rams to a state title in 2016.
Pyne will be honored, along with the members of the 2022 Walter Camp All-America Team, Player of Year Caleb Williams (USC) and Coach of Year Sonny Dykes (TCU) at the Foundation’s 57th National Awards Dinner, presented by 777 Partners, on Saturday, March 11 in at Yale’s University Schwarzman Center in New Haven. National Awards Dinner tickets are $350 and available at https://waltercamp.org/product/awards-dinner/
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 Outlier Project is a unique membership community for professional development (personal development IS professional development) and is for anyone who believes success is found by showing up differently. We are fond of saying, “anyone can be ordinary”. A special focus of The Outlier Project is to develop leaders who believe that companies and individuals alike succeed or fail based on the quality of the teams they build and the relationships they invest in. We call this having a “People Over Everything” mindset. Visit www.theoutlierproject.co/
Connecticut Player of the Year
Presented to the top college football player who is a resident and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut. The award is voted on by the Walter Camp Football Foundation membership.
2022 – Drew Pyne, QB, Notre Dame (Arizona State)
2021 – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky; Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami
2020 – Andrew Stueber, OL, Michigan
2019 – Christian Montano, C, Tulane
2018 – Zach Allen, DE, Boston College
2017 – Ervin Philips, WR, Syracuse
2016 – Noel Thomas, WR, Connecticut
2015 – Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple
2014 – Tyler Murphy, QB, Boston College
2013 – Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB, Boston College
2012 – Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
2011 – Silas Redd, RB, Penn State
2010 – John Moffitt, OL, Wisconsin
2009 – Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida
2008 – Kory Sheets, RB, Purdue
2007 – Mike McLeod, RB, Yale
2006 – Kory Sheets, RB, Purdue
2005 – John Sullivan, C, Notre Dame
2004 – Anttaj Hawthorne, DT, Wisconsin; Dan Orlovsky, QB, Connecticut
2003 – Dan Orlovsky, QB, Connecticut
2002 – Niko Koutouvides, LB, Purdue
2001 – Dwight Freeney, DE, Syracuse
2000 – Peter Mazza, LB, Yale
1999 – Bobby Myers, DB, Wisconsin
1998 – Carl Bond, RB, Connecticut
1997 – Kyle McIntosh, RB, Syracuse
1996 – Tarek Salah, LB, Wisconsin
1995 – Tarek Salah, LB, Wisconsin
1994 – Jason Miska, LB, Auburn
1993 – Chris Zingo, LB, Cornell
1992 – Curtis Eller, LB, Villanova
1991 – Corey Vincent, DL, Holy Cross
1990 – Rob Thomson, DB, Syracuse
1989 – Terry Wooden, LB, Syracuse
1988 – Glenn Antrum, WR, Connecticut
1987 – Bill Romanowski, LB, Boston College
1986 – Richard Comizio, RB, Pennsylvania
1985 – Tom Patton, DE, Holy Cross
1984 – No recipient
1983 – Steve Young, QB, Brigham Young
1982 – Mike Marshall, DB, Southern Conn.
1981 – Richard Diana, RB, Yale
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