Walter Camp Announces Early Favorites For Player Of The Year Award

Oct. 25, 2001

NEW HAVEN, CT – The Walter Camp Football Foundation announced today (10/25/2001) that eight quarterbacks and two running backs are the leading candidates for its prestigious “Player of the Year” award. This award is the fourth oldest individual college football award in the country. The recipient is strongly viewed in the college football world as the favorite to capture the Heisman Trophy awarded in December.

Walter Camp Football Foundation President Bernard Pellegrino stated that the Foundation annually honors the name of Walter Camp by selecting the premier player in college football along with selecting the nation’s most time honored All-America team dating back to 1889. Walter Camp, recognized as “The Father of American Football,” introduced many innovations that brought about the evolution of the American style of football.

The list of front-runners for the 2001 Walter Camp “Player of the Year” award includes quarterbacks Ken Dorsey of Miami, Eric Crouch of Nebraska, Joey Harrington of Oregon, Rex Grossman of Florida, David Carr of Fresno State, Woodrow Dantzler of Clemson, Chris Simms of Texas and Eli Manning of Ole Miss. Northwestern senior Damien Anderson, a 2000 Walter Camp All-America selection, and UCLA standout DeShaun Foster are the running backs.

Throughout the college football season, the Walter Camp Football Foundation will be conducting a fan opinion poll on their website at www.waltercamp.org. Also, the Walter Camp “Player of the Year” trophy will be part of an eleven-game college football tour conducted by ESPN The Magazine. The Walter Camp “Player of the Year” trophy is scheduled to be presented live during an ESPN college football broadcast at the end of the college football regular season.

The Walter Camp “Player of the Year” award recipient and members of the 2001 Walter Camp All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on February 9, 2002 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

For further information please contact Tom Lally at (203) 675-1722 or visit www.waltercamp.org.