Vote For Troy as Cingular All-America Player of the Week Award – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 11, 2006
ATLANTA, Ga. — Four nominees for the Cingular All-America Player of the Week have been announced after the second weekend of college football action, and the power now rests solely in the hands of the fans to determine a winner.
University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak, University of Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Notre Dame University quarterback Brady Quinn and Ohio State University quarterback Troy Smith have been selected by a panel of ESPN college football analysts as this week’s top candidates based on their outstanding performances this past weekend. Fans can determine the winner by text messaging “VOTE” to “87654” on their wireless phone and casting their votes for the nominees.
Leak threw for a career-high 352 yards and four touchdowns in the No.7 Gators’ 42-0 victory over Central Florida Saturday. It was Florida’s largest margin of victory in three years. Peterson rushed for 165 yards and two scores in the No. 15 Sooners’ 37-20 win over Washington. He is a four-time past recipient of the Cingular All-America Player of the Week, having won the award three times in 2004 and once last season. Quinn, who claimed the honor twice last year and was a finalist for the 2005 Cingular All-America Player of the Year, passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns in helping the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish cruise by No. 19 Penn State 41-17. Smith threw for 269 yards and two scores, as the top-ranked Buckeyes snapped No. 2 Texas’ 21-game winning streak with a 24-7 victory.
Fans have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday to submit their votes. The winner will be announced September 14 during ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football Game between Maryland and West Virginia. Fans can vote as many times as they like, with each vote counting as one entry into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2007 BCS National Championship game. The Cingular All-America Player of the Week program will continue throughout the season, with the nominees being revealed each Sunday on the 9 a.m. ESPN SportsCenter and on the Web at www.espnallamerica.com
Cingular customers can visit Cingular’s NCAA Football Portal on their wireless handset to view video highlights of each week’s candidates, retrieve photos, check scoreboards, track their favorite teams and download school ringtones.
In December, four finalists for the Cingular All-America Player of the Year award will be announced during a one-hour special on ABC Sports. Fans will then get a chance to say who the best player in the nation is by voting for the Cingular All-America Player of the Year up until the Bowl Championship Series. The selection process will culminate during the BCS National Championship game on FOX when the Cingular All-America Player of the Year will be presented.
Last year, University of Texas quarterback Vince Young was crowned as the Cingular All-America Player of the Year, beating out USC teammates Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart and Notre Dame University quarterback Brady Quinn. He was the second Longhorn to claim the award, after running back Cedric Benson won the inaugural honor in 2004.
