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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Manning Named As 2003 Walter Camp Finalist
12/3/2003 | Football
Dec. 3, 2003
NEW HAVEN, Ct. - The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the five finalists for its 2003 Player of the Year award, the fourth-oldest individual college football accolade in the nation.
The 2003 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the 117 Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on Thursday, December 11 during the 6:00 p.m. edition of ESPN Sports Center. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation's annual national awards banquet on February 14, 2004 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
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.
The five finalists for the 2003 Walter Camp Player of the Year award:
Larry Fitzgerald, Soph., WR, 6-3, 225, Pittsburgh -- Fitzgerald has been amazing in 2003, hauling down 87 catches and leads the NCAA in receiving yards (1,595) and yards per game (132.9)... Fitzgerald also has a nation-best 22 touchdown receptions, including an NCAA-record 18-game consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown ... Pittsburgh (8-4) will play Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl on December 27.
Eli Manning, Sr., QB, 6-5, 218, Ole Miss -- Has thrown for 3,341 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2003 for the Rebels (9-3), who are awaiting a bowl berth ... Manning passed for 300 yards in a game four times, including a season-best 409 against Texas Tech on September 27... Manning needs just 60 yards to set the Ole Miss season-passing record -- set by him in 2002
Chris Perry, Sr., RB, 6-1, 228, Michigan -- The 2003 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Perry led the conference in rushing (132.4 yards per game), totaling 1,589 yards and scored 17 rushing touchdowns ... Perry also had 42 receptions for 366 yards and two touchdowns ... His 154 yards and two touchdowns helped Michigan secure a victory over Ohio State, earning the Big Ten title and a BCS bowl berth for the Wolverines (10-2).
Philip Rivers, Sr., QB, 6-5, 236, North Carolina State -- The 2003 ACC Player of the Year, Rivers completed 311-of-438 passes with ACC records for completion percentage (71.0%) and yards (4,016) ... He had 29 touchdown passes compared to just seven interceptions? He had four 400-yard passing efforts, including a season-best 433 against Wake Forest on September 6 ... NC State (7-5) will play Kansas in the Tangerine Bowl on December 22.
Jason White, Sr., QB, 6-2, 221, Oklahoma -- The leader of the undefeated and top-ranked Sooners (12-0), who will play Kansas State in the Big 12 title game on Saturday, December 6 ... Through 12 games, White has thrown for 3,446 yards, completing 65.4 % of his passes (238-of-364) ... White has also set an Oklahoma season record with 40 touchdown passes.