WARRIOR FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Winners at the College Football Sports Awards gathered on stage last night: Brady Quinn (Maxwell Award),Troy Smith (O'Brien Award), Patrick Willis (Butkus Award), Paul Posluszny (Bednarik Award), Calvin Johnson (Biletnikoff Award), Darren McFadden (Doak Walker Award), Arthur Carmody (Groza Award), Aaron Ross (Thorpe Award), Daniel Sepulveda (Ray Guy Award) and Joe Thomas (Outland Trophy).
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Brennan avoids awards shutout
The QB is a Walter Camp second-team All-American
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. » Troy Smith won both awards Colt Brennan was up for, but yesterday wasn't a total bust for the Hawaii junior quarterback, as many of college football's major awards were announced.
Brennan, a finalist for the Walter Camp and Davey O'Brien awards that Smith won, was named a second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation and an honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrated's SI.com.
UH senior center Samson Satele made the SI.com second team, and sophomore receiver Davone Bess joined Brennan as an honorable mention.
The Associated Press All-America team will be announced next week.
Last night, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn won the Maxwell Award as the player of the year, beating out Ohio State's Smith, the Heisman Trophy favorite.
Quinn, Smith and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden are the finalists for the Heisman, which will be handed out tomorrow night in New York.
"Winning this award makes me look forward to Saturday night that much more," Quinn said. "When you go back and look at it, the so-called rivalry between me and Troy pretty much began with last year's Fiesta Bowl. Things just kind of went on from there. He and Darren (McFadden) have both had great seasons, and we've done pretty well for ourselves. We'll just see what happens in New York."
Most believe it a foregone conclusion that Smith will be picking up the Heisman. Last night he was happy with his double haul.
"I am extremely overwhelmed and at a loss for words right now," said Smith, who led the top-ranked Buckeyes to a berth in the BCS national championship game against Florida on Jan. 8. "I can remember last year Vince Young clutching the Davey O'Brien Award and it meant so much to him. When you add the Walter Camp Award to that, it's amazing.
"Vince's team went on to win the national championship after he won the Davey O'Brien, and that's exactly what I'm looking to do. There's nothing wrong with leaving legacies like that."
The Big Ten offensive player of the year, Smith led Ohio State to a 12-0 record with 2,740 total yards. He threw a school-record 30 touchdown passes and led the Big Ten in passing efficiency.
Quinn passed for 3,278 and 35 touchdowns this season, leading the Fighting Irish (10-2) to a Sugar Bowl bid. Notre Dame will face LSU on Jan. 3 in New Orleans.
He is the fifth Notre Dame player to win the Maxwell and first since defensive lineman Ross Browner in 1977.
Rutgers tailback Ray Rice was the other finalist for the Maxwell Award.
McFadden, a sophomore who led Arkansas to the Southeastern Conference title game, won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back. He is the first SEC player to win the award since Georgia's Garrison Hearst in 1992.
"This is a tremendous honor because I know there are a lot of great running backs out there," said McFadden, the first Arkansas player to win the Doak Walker Award. "It means a whole lot to me because in the SEC, it's hard to rack up yards. It just shows how big of an accomplishment it is."
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano was chosen as The Home Depot Coach of the Year for turning around the Scarlet Knights (10-2).
"We've wanted to change the culture at Rutgers, not just on the football field, but with the university as well," Schiano said. "I think we've been able to do that."
Penn State's Paul Posluszny was the only repeat winner from 2005. For the second straight year, the Nittany Lions linebacker won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player.
"I think it shows a lot about the defense that we play at Penn State," Posluszny said. "My teammate, Dan Connor, was also very deserving of the award. To win it twice and to be put in the same category as Pat Fitzgerald (the award's only other two-time winner), it's amazing."
Other award winners were:
» Joe Thomas, Wisconsin, Outland Trophy (best interior linemen)
» Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech, Biletnikoff Award (best wide receiver)
» Aaron Ross, Texas, Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)
» Patrick Willis, Mississippi, Butkus Award (best linebacker)
» Arthur Carmody, Louisville, Lou Groza Award (best kicker)
» Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor, Ray Guy Award (best punter)