Norwalk’s Cam Edwards and Trumbull’s Kenny Soares, Jr. named 2025 Walter Camp Connecticut Players of the Year
Running back Cam Edwards (Connecticut) and linebacker Kenny Soares, Jr. (North Carolina State) have been selected as Walter Camp’s 2025 Connecticut Players of the Year. The awards are presented to the top college football players who are residents and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut. The award is voted on by the Walter Camp Football Foundation all-volunteer membership.
Offense: Cam Edwards, Connecticut (Norwalk/Norwalk HS)
A redshirt junior, Cam Edwards led the Huskies with 1,240 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025. He also caught 19 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown as the Huskies finished 9-4 and earned a berth to the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against Army. In the bowl game, Edwards eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the fifth time on the season, finishing with 108 yards on 11 carries and one touchdown.
A resident of Norwalk, Edwards was a three-year starter at Norwalk High School when he totaled 2,349 career rushing yards. In his senior season, Edwards led the Bears to a 7-3 record and was named to the Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team.
Defense: Kenny Soares, Jr., North Carolina State (Trumbull, CT/Avon Old Farms)
A graduate student, Kenny Soares, Jr. finished second on the Wolfpack with 80 tackles in 2025 from his linebacker position.
Soares, Jr. recorded 4.0 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and two pass breakups as North Carolina State recorded an 8-5 final record, including a 31-7 victory over Memphis in Gasparilla Bowl on December 19. In that bowl victory, Soares, Jr. recorded 12 tackles (5 solo), including one for a loss, and one quarterback hurry.
Soares, Jr. previously played three seasons at Northwestern. Soares, Jr. played scholastically at Avon Old Farms where he led the Winged Beavers to a New England Championship in 2021 and was named First-team All-New England and First team All-Founders League.
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.
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.
2025 – Kenny Soars, Jr., LB, North Carolina State; Cam Edwards, RB, Connecticut
2024 – Justin Barron, LB, Syracuse; Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama
2023 – Justin Barron, LB, Syracuse; Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (Wisconsin)
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
Walter Camp, the Father of American football, named 2nd most influential person in high school football
Walter Camp, the Father of American football, was named among top 25 most influential people in high school football by Max Preps. Camp was picked second, just behind former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt.
Father of American Football
Known as the “Father of American Football”, Camp played football at Yale in the 1870s and was responsible for many of the innovations in the game that helped transform it from the sport of rugby to the game of football. Among those innovations included the creation of the “line of scrimmage” and the “system of downs”. He also came up with the names of the positions of the players and determined that each side should play with 11 players.
Grand View University’s E.J. Peterson named the 2025 Walter Camp NAIA Coach of the Year
Grand View University’s E.J. Peterson has been named the 2025 Walter Camp NAIA Coach of the Year, following a historic season that culminated in the Vikings’ second consecutive NAIA National Championship.
Peterson, a 2011 Grand View alumnus and former standout player, took the reins of the program in December 2024 after serving six seasons as the team’s Defensive Coordinator. In his first year as head coach, he led the Vikings to a flawless 14-0 record, securing the Heart of America North Division title and a thrilling 22-16 victory over Keiser University in the NAIA Championship game on December 20. In the championship victory, Dalten Van Pelt rushed for 144 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, and Jackson Waring threw a tiebreaking touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
A standout player at Grandview (2009-2010), Peterson was named All-Conference and All-American before starting his coaching journey. Prior to being named head coach, he served as the Vikings’ Defensive Coordinator, leading the Vikings to top NAIA defensive rankings and multiple national titles, earning Heart of America Assistant Coach of the Year.
He started his coaching career at McPherson College (2012-2018) as linebackers coach and strength coordinator before returning to his alma mater.
Walter Camp NAIA Coach of Year
2025 – E.J. Peterson, Grand View
William Penn running back Destynd Loring Named 2025 Walter Camp NAIA Player of the Year
William Penn University senior running back Destynd Loring has been named 2025 Walter Camp NAIA Player of the Year, recognizing his extraordinary performance and leadership throughout a record-setting season.
Loring led the NAIA in rushing with 1,949 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns, both of which set new single-season school records. His explosive playmaking and relentless work ethic powered the Statesmen to one of their most successful campaigns in program history.
In addition to the Walter Camp honor, Loring was also named the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division Offensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America First Team.
Loring’s 2025 campaign was marked by consistency and dominance. He averaged over 162 rushing yards per game and scored in every contest, helping William Penn reach the NAIA playoffs and finish with a national ranking.
A native of Charleston, S.C., Loring played scholastically at Wando High School.
Walter Camp NAIA Player of Year
2025 – Destynd Loring, RB, William Penn
2024 – Zach Chevalier, QB, Morningside
2025 Walter Camp NAIA All-America Team
Here is the 2025 Walter Camp NAIA All-America Team
Offense
Wide Receiver: David Hayes (St. Thomas, Fla.), Levi Torgerson (Montana Tech)
Tight End: Tanner Zimmerman (Benedictine)
Offensive Line: Hayden McDonald (Taylor), Zak Rachow (Briar Cliff), Ethan Hansen
(Dordt), Logan Penhollow (Indiana Wesleyan), Kyree Watkins (Friends)
Quarterback: Zach Chevalier (Morningside)
Running Back: Destynd Loring (William Penn), Davontaye Saunders (Lindey Wilson)
Placekicker: Alex Hanson (Reinhardt)
Defense
Defensive Line: Tai Lologo (Keiser), Jackson Filer (Grandview), Thomas Ibrahim
(Southeastern), Jordan Crawford (Texas Wesleyan)
Linebacker: Hunter Zirkle (Cumberlands), John Argo (Grandview), Tel Arthur (Montana
Tech)
Defensive Back: Isaiah Hasten (Benedictine), Cannon Johnson (Cumberland),
Braeden Orlandi (Carroll), Logan Carrington (Marian)
Punter: Drew Rader (Georgetown, Ky.)
Kick Returner: A.J. King (Tabor)
North Central’s Brad Spencer named 2025 Walter Camp Division III Coach of the Year
North Central’s Brad Spencer has been named the 2025 Walter Camp Division III Coach of the Year. Spencer has guided the Cardinals to a perfect 14-0 record and its fourth straight berth in the Division III national championship game.
North Central (14-0) will play the University of Wisconsin–River Falls for the first time in program history in the national championship (The Stagg Bowl) on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
Under Spencer’s direction, North Central led the nation in both scoring offense and scoring defense, continuing its reputation as one of the most formidable programs in the country.
This award marks Spencer’s second major national coaching honor of the season, following his selection as the AFCA Division III National Coach of the Year earlier in December.
After a stellar playing career as a wide receiver for the Cardinals (2001-2004), Spencer joined the North Central College coaching staff as a wide receivers/tight ends coach in 2004. After 11 seasons as the wide receivers coach, Spencer was promoted to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator prior to the 2015 season. In January 2022, he was appointed the 26th head coach in the history of the Cardinals’ program. In the time, Spencer has totaled an impressive 57-1 career record with two national titles (2022 and 2024).
Walter Camp Division III Coach of Year
2025 – Brad Spencer, North Central
