Sporting News Names Troy Smith Player of the Year – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 12, 2006
St. Louis – Ohio State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith receives another honor Tuesday as Sporting News magazine names him College Football Player of the Year. Smith has proved to be the ultimate dual-purpose quarterback. He is a threat to make something out of nothing with his feet, but it was his continued development as a passer that turned him into the nation’s best player.
Smith completed 199-of-297 passes for 2,507 yards while leading the Big Ten with 30 touchdown passes and tossing just five picks. Even more important, Smith guided the Buckeyes to a 12-0 record and a spot in the BCS championship game.
Sporting News also announced Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe Coach of the Year and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy Freshman of the Year.
Picked by most to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, Grobe blew up the predictions by guiding Wake Forest to an amazing 11-2 record and its first ACC championship since 1970.
Not only is he taking his team to the Orange Bowl, but he is doing it after losing his starting quarterback and running back early in the season.
McCoy had big shoes to fill replacing Vince Young. A redshirt freshman, McCoy completed 191-of-278 passes for 2,262 yards with 27 touchdowns. If not for a late-season shoulder injury, McCoy was on his way to guiding the 9-3 Longhorns to the Big 12 South championship.
The 2006 College Football Awards, selected by Sporting News writers and editors, appear in the December 22 issue of the magazine on newsstands this week, as well as on sportingnews.com.
Also announced was the 2006 All-American team.
2006 ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Troy Smith, Ohio State
RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
RB Steve Slaton, West Virginia
WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
WR Robert Meachem, Tennessee
TE Jonny Harline, BYU
OL Steve Vallos, Wake Forest
OL Justin Blalock, Texas
OL Dan Mozes, West Virginia
OL Sam Baker, USC
OL Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
DEFENSE
DL Gaines Adams, Clemson
DL Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State
DL LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
DL Justin Hickman, UCLA
LB Dan Connor, Penn State
LB Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
DB Reggie Nelson, Florida
DB Eric Weddle, Utah
DB Daymeion Hughes, California
DB John Talley, Duke
SPECIALISTS
K Justin Medlock, UCLA
P Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
KR Marcus Thigpen, Indiana
PR DeSean Jackson, California
