TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes is one of 15 "Players to Watch" for the
Walter Camp Football Foundation's 2008 Player of the Year, the fourth-oldest
individual college football award in the nation.
A Midseason All-American by The Sporting News, Hughes is also one of 15
semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive
player. Additionally, Hughes appears on the Midseason Watch List for the Ted
Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end.
Included below are the 15 "Players to Watch" for the 2008 Walter Camp Player
of the Year award:
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri
Jarrett Dillard, WR, Rice
Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech
Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU
James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
Jeremy Maclin, WR/KR, Missouri
Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Aaron Maybin, DL, Penn State
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Scott McKillop, LB, Pittsburgh
Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Hughes tops the nation with 14 sacks. No other player in the country has
more than 11. The 14 sacks are a Mountain West Conference record and are
closing in on the TCU mark of 17 set by Bo Schobel in 2003.
A junior from Sugar Land, Texas, Hughes is third in the nation with 17.5
tackles for loss while tying for third with five forced fumbles. He is tied
for fourth in the country with three fumble recoveries. Hughes also has two
interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
Hughes was the Walter Camp Football Foundation and FWAA/Bronko Nagurski
Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week after his four sacks and two
forced fumbles in a 32-7 win over then-No. 8 BYU. He is a three-time
Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week this season.
Hughes anchors a TCU defense that leads the nation in run defense (39.5
yards per game) and sacks (40) while ranking second in total defense (220.0
yards per game) and third in scoring defense (11.0 points per game).
The 15th-ranked Horned Frogs are 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the Mountain West
Conference.
Five finalists for the 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year will be announced
on Dec. 2. The award is voted on by the Football Bowl Subdivision head
coaches and sports information directors. The winner will be announced on
Dec. 11 during the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN's SportsCenter.
The recipient will receive his trophy at the Foundation¹s annual national
awards banquet on Jan. 17 at Yale University. Tickets ($275) are available
by calling (203) 288-CAMP.
³It¹s been an exciting college football season with many teams and players
still in the hunt for national recognition,² Walter Camp Football Foundation
president John Barbarotta said. ³We¹ve identified 15 players to watch
because the final few weeks of the regular season should be even more
thrilling.²
Last year¹s recipient was Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.
Walter Camp, ³The Father of American Football,² 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 11 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.