Crosby Named Walter Camp All-American

NEW HAVEN, Conn. ? Ohio State and Michigan each placed three players on the 2006 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team, the 117th honored by the organization, and Colorado placekicker Mason Crosby was a member of the team for the second straight year, as the nation’s oldest All-America team was announced live Thursday evening on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards show.

Crosby, a senior from Georgetown, Texas, hit 19-of-28 field goals in 2006, along with all 19 of his extra point kicks. He was 17-of-19 from 49 yards on in, as most of his misses were from 55 yards or longer. A 56-yard field goal against Texas Tech was the second longest in the NCAA this season. His 76 points led Colorado in scoring.

It marks the 61st time a Colorado Buffalo has been afforded first-team All-America honors; Crosby is the first two-time CU honoree since wide receiver Michael Westbrook (1992, 1994) and the first to be named in back-to-back seasons since 1989 and 1990, when both guard Joe Garten and outside linebacker Alfred Williams garnered the honors. Crosby, one of three first-teamers on the 2005 team to repeat, is the first Buffalo to ever be selected twice on the Walter Camp team.

Crosby is also the first CU All-American selection from a Buffalo team with a losing record since 1979, when both cornerback Mark Haynes and offensive tackle Stan Brock were honored.

The first CU placekicker ever honored with the college game’s highest honor, Crosby set 22 records at Colorado, exiting as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 307 points.

“This is a tremendous honor to be recognized twice by the Walter Camp Foundation,” Crosby said. “I have enjoyed my career at the University of Colorado and am glad I can again represent the school on what is recognized as perhaps the most prestigious All-America team.”

Crosby was named All-Big 12 Conference for the third straight year, the seventh Colorado Buffalo to earn first-team all-league honors. He was snubbed by the Lou Groza Award Committee as a finalist for its top college placekicker award, which went to Louisville’s Art Carmody. He scored 117 points, making all 57 PAT kicks and 20-of-23 field goals, though tried just one longer than 50 yards to Crosby’s NCAA-high of nine.

Headlining the offensive squad is the 2006 Walter Camp Player of the Year Troy Smith, a senior quarterback from Ohio State. A 6-1, 215-pounder from Cleveland, Ohio, Smith has passed for 2,507 yards and 30 touchdowns for the top-ranked and undefeated Buckeyes.

Joining Smith in the offensive backfield are two sophomore running backs ? Steve Slaton (West Virginia) and Darren McFadden (Arkansas). Slaton has rushed for 1,733 yards and 16 touchdowns, while McFadden has totaled 1,558 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

Two talented junior wide receivers, Dwayne Jarrett (USC), a repeat first team honoree, and Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech) join tight end Zach Miller (Arizona State), also a junior, on the first team.

Seniors Joe Thomas (Wisconsin), Justin Blalock (Texas) and Arron Sears (Tennessee) join junior Jake Long (Michigan) on the offensive line. Senior Dan Mozes (West Virginia) is the offensive center.

Leading the defensive unit is a repeat Walter Camp All-America selection, senior linebacker Paul Posluszny (Penn State). Posluszny led the Nittany Lions with 108 tackles. Joining Poslusnzy in the
middle are Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaits (100 tackles, 5 interceptions) and Mississippi’s Patrick Willis (137 tackles). Willis was a second team selection a year ago.

Four seniors, LaMarr Woodley (Michigan), Gaines Adams (Clemson), Quinn Pitcock (Ohio State) and Justin Hickman (UCLA) - comprise the first team defensive interior. A trio of seniors Leon Hall (Michigan), Aaron Ross (Texas) and Daymeion Hughes (California) join junior Reggie Nelson (Florida) in the defensive secondary.

The punter is senior Daniel Sepulveda (Baylor), who leads the nation with a 46.5 yard per punt average, and the kick returner is sophomore Desean Jackson (California), who has returned four punts for touchdowns this season.

The Walter Camp All-America team is selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 119 Division 1-A football schools and certified by UHY Advisors, a New Haven-based accounting firm. Walter Camp Football Foundation President Allen Jackson was pleased with the voting participation.

“We had 82 percent of the 1-A schools participate in this year’s voting,” Jackson said. “We are very appreciative of the cooperation of the coaches and SIDs in our effort to honor the most outstanding college players each and every season.”

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.

Members of the 2006 Walter Camp All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on January 13, 2007 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. Please call (203) 288-CAMP for tickets ($275.00).

The Walter Camp Foundation contributed to this report.

Colorado University Athletics