Aug. 30, 2002

Adding to the Gamecocks already strong list of preseason award nominees, today South Carolina senior Andrew Pinnock was named as one of the candidates for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. The complete list follows at the end.

The No. 22nd ranked Gamecocks open their season tomorrow, at home, vs. New Mexico State at 7 pm.

The bruising back, Pinnock was named to the watch list for the Doak Walker Award earlier this month, given to the nation’s top running back. He was the Gamecocks’ leading rusher in 2001, gaining 622 yards. He also scored a team-high 12 touchdowns.

In addition to Pinnock, spur Rashad Faison is on the watch list’s for the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Jim Thorpe Award; and quarterback Corey Jenkins is on the watch list for the Unitas Golden Arm award.

The fourth-oldest individual college football award in the nation, the Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient will be announced live on ESPN in early December. The winner will receive his trophy during the Foundation’s annual national awards banquet on February 8, 2003 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

Last year’s recipient was Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch.

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.

2002 Walter Camp Player of the Year Candidates Andrew Pinnock, RB, Senior South Carolina

Cedric Benson, RB, Sophomore, Texas Casey Clausen, QB, Junior, Tennessee Antonio Davis, RB, Sophomore, Wisconsin Dahrran Diedrick, RB, Senior, Nebraska Ken Dorsey, QB, Senior, Miami Mike Doss, DB, Senior, Ohio State Clarence Farmer, RB, Junior, Arizona Anthony Floyd, DB, Senior, Louisville Greg Gathers, DE, Senior, Georgia Tech Jason Gesser, QB, Senior, Washington State Rex Grossman, QB, Junior, Florida E.J. Henderson, LB, Senior, Maryland Byron Leftwich, QB, Senior, Marshall Eli Manning, QB, Junior, Mississippi Dave Ragone, QB, Senior, Louisville Troy Polamalu, DB, Senior, USC Philip Rivers, QB, Junior, North Carolina State Chris Rix, QB, Sophomore, Florida State Charles Rogers, WR, Junior, Michigan State Chris Simms, QB, Senior, Texas Onterrio Smith, RB, Junior, Oregon Lee Suggs, RB, Senior, Virginia Tech Kelley Washington, WR, Sophomore, Tennessee Roy Williams, WR, Junior, Texas