Aug. 18, 2008

Two Conference USA players are among the preseason candidates for the 2008 Walter Camp Football Foundation Award, given annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player. Rice senior WR Jarett Dillard and UCF senior defensive back/punt returner Joe Burnett are C-USA's representatives on the preseason watch list.

Burnett, a three-year starter at cornerback, has 12 career interceptions, which is the second-highest total in UCF history. A two-time first team All-Conference USA selection as a defensive back, he has 177 career tackles and 24 pass breakups.

Burnett was tabbed as the C-USA preseason Special Teams Player of the Year for the second straight season. He has 926 career punt return yards, which ranks first among active players in the NCAA FBS and his three career touchdowns are tied for the most among active players. Burnett's average of 13.23 yards per punt return is also tops among all active players.

Dillard is a preseason All-Conference selection and earned honorable mention All-American recognition last season after grabbing first team All-American honors in 2006. He enters his senior season as the NCAA active career leader in receptions (205), receiving yards (2,828) and receiving touchdowns (40). His 40 touchdowns rank eighth on the NCAA career list and he is 10 away from the NCAA career mark of 50 set by Troy Edwards of Louisiana Tech.

The owner of virtually every Rice receiving record, Dillard has caught at least two passes in each game of his career (36), the longest active streak in the nation. A total of 142 of his 205 career receptions have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.

The watch list will be narrowed to 15 semi-finalists in early November.

The 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation's annual national awards banquet on January 10, 2009 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

Last year's recipient was Arkansas running back and current Oakland Raider Darren McFadden.

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 (www.waltercamp.org) - 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.

2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year "Watch List"

Travis Beckum, TE, Senior, Wisconsin !
Arrelious Benn, WR, Sophomore, Illinois
Sam Bradford, QB, Sophomore, Oklahoma
Tom Brandstater, QB, Senior, Fresno State
Joe Burnett, DB, Senior, UCF
Rudy Carpenter, QB, Senior, Arizona State
Michael Crabtree, WR, Sophomore, Texas Tech!
Chase Daniel, QB, Senior, Missouri %
James Davis, RB, Senior, Clemson
Nate Davis, QB, Junior, Ball State
Jarett Dillard, WR, Senior, Rice #
Max Hall, QB, Junior, Brigham Young
Percy Harvin, WR, Junior, Florida
P.J. Hill, RB, Junior, Wisconsin
Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Senior, Ohio State
Ian Johnson, RB, Senior, Boise State
James Laurinaitis, LB, Senior, Ohio State @
Marlon Lucky, RB, Senior, Nebraska
Dan LeFevour, QB, Junior, Central Michigan
Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Senior, Auburn
Ray Maualuga, LB, Senior, USC
Colt McCoy, QB, Junior, Texas
LeSean McCoy, RB, Sophomore, Pittsburgh
Scott McKillop, LB, Senior, Pittsburgh
Knowshon Moreno, RB, Sophomore, Georgia
Nick Reed, DL, Senior, Oregon
Todd Reesing, QB, Junior, Kansas
Javon Ringer, RB, Senior, Michigan State
George Selvie, DE, Junior, South Florida !
Alphonso Smith, DB, Senior, Wake Forest %
Rusty Smith, QB, Junior, Florida Atlantic
C.J. Spiller, RB, Junior, Clemson
Tim Tebow, QB, Junior, Florida !
Chris Wells, RB, Junior, Ohio State
Pat White, QB, Senior, West Virginia

! - 2007 Walter Camp First Team All-American  @ - 2006 and 2007 Walter Camp First Team All-American  # - 2006 Walter Camp Second Team All-American  % - 2007 Walter Camp Second Team All-American