Lincoln – Nebraska senior quarterback Taylor Martinez and junior I-back Ameer Abdullah have been named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award on Friday.
Martinez and Abdullah are among six Big Ten players on the 50-player list for one of college football’s oldest awards, while Nebraska is one of 11 schools with multiple players on the watch list.
The 6-1, 210-pound Martinez has already shattered several Nebraska records in his first three seasons as Nebraska’s starting quarterback. Martinez has established NU records for career and season total offense, career passing yards and he ranks second among quarterbacks in career rushing yards. Martinez’s 39 career starts are the second-most of any returning player in the country, and his 2,858 career rushing yards are the most among active FBS players. Martinez was a first-team All-Big Ten pick by the Big Ten coaches in 2012.
Abdullah teamed with Martinez in 2012 to give Nebraska pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Abdullah rushed for 1,137 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore and helped Nebraska lead the Big Ten and rank eighth nationally in rushing offense. Abdullah also posted the sixth-best single-season all-purpose yardage total in NU history with 1,884 yards. Abdullah was a second-team All-Big Ten choice in 2012. Together, Martinez and Abdullah team up to give Nebraska a pair of 1,000-yard rushers for the first time in school history.
Semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award will be announced in mid-November. The 2013 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 125 FBS head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on ESPN SportsCenter on Thursday, December 12. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s annual national awards banquet on January 11, 2014 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
2013 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
Antonio Andrews, RB, Western Kentucky
Dri Archer, RB, Kent State
Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
Kolton Browning, QB, Louisiana Monroe
Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona *
Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
Rakeem Cato, QB, Marshall
Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina *
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
David Fluellen, RB, Toledo
Phillip Gaines, DB, Rice
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
John Hubert, RB, Kansas State
Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
Duke Johnson, RB, Miami Fla. #
Chuckie Keeton, QB, Utah State
Marqise Lee, WR, USC *
Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan *
Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois
Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M *
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M #
Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt
Venric Mark, RB, Northwestern
Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska
AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama
Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama *
Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia
Louis Nix III, DE, Notre Dame
Casey Pachall, QB, TCU
Keith Price, QB, Washington
Silas Redd, RB, USC
Bradley Roby, DB, Ohio State #
Tyler Russell, QB, Mississippi State
Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington
Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor
Yawin Smallwood, LB, Connecticut
Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State #
Tyler Tettleton, QB, Ohio
De’Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon
Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech
Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame #
Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU
Jason Verrett, DB, TCU #
Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama
* 2012 Walter Camp First Team All-American # – 2012 Walter Camp Second Team All-American
The Walter Camp Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visitwww.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Fifteen of the association’s 21 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2013 preseason watch list calendar:
Mon., July 8: Bednarik Award / Maxwell Award
Tue., July 9: Mackey Award / Rimington Trophy
Wed., July 10: Lou Groza Award / Ray Guy Award
Thurs., July 11: Bronko Nagurski Trophy / Outland Trophy
Fri., July 12: Jim Thorpe Award
Mon., July 15: Butkus Award / Rotary Lombardi Award
Tue., July 16: Biletnikoff Award
Wed., July 17: Davey O’Brien Award
Thurs., July 18: Doak Walker Award
Fri., July 19: Walter Camp Award