Dillard One of 15 Walter Camp Award Players to Watch
11/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 13, 2008
Jarett Dillard, Rice's record-smashing senior wide receiver, is one of 15 players who have been selected by the Walter Camp Football Foundation as Players to Watch" for its 2008 Player of the Year award, the fourth-oldest individual college football award in the nation.
Joining Dillard on the Camp Award list are Sam Bradford of Oklahoma; Donald Brown of Connecticut ; Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech; Chase Daniel of Missouri; Graham Harrel of Texas Tech; Jerry Hughes of TCU; James Laurinaitis of Ohio State; Jeremy Maclin of Missouri; Rey Maualuga of USC; Aaron Maybin of Penn State; Colt McCoy of Texas; Scott McKillop of Pittsburgh; Javon Ringer of Michigan State and Tim Tebow of Florida.
Dillard is second in the nation with 17 touchdown catches this season and ranks third with 1,093 receiving yards, fourth with 109.3 yards per game and is tied for six in scoring (10.2 points per game).
He holds the NCAA career record for touchdown receptions (57) and games with a touchdown catch (36) and has combined with quarterback Chase Clement to set an NCAA record for most career touchdown passes by the same passer and receiver (48). The Conference USA career leader in reception yards, Dillard became just the 13th receiver in NCAA history to record three seasons with 1,000 yards with his 144-yard effort against Army.
A list of five finalists will be announced on Tuesday, December 2. The 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on Thursday, December 11 during the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN SportsCenter.
The winner will receive his trophy at the Foundation's annual national awards banquet on Saturday, January 17, 2008 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. Tickets ($275) are available by calling (203) 288-CAMP.
"It's been an exciting college football season with many teams and players still in the hunt for national recognition," Walter Camp Football Foundation president John Barbarotta said. "We've identified fifteen players to watch because the final few weeks of the regular season should be even more thrilling."
Last year's recipient was Darren McFadden (Arkansas), who is currently a rookie on the Oakland Raiders.
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.
