Tim Tebow, Darren McFadden, Michael Crabtree and Chris Long Announced as the Four...

Tim Tebow, Darren McFadden, Michael Crabtree and Chris Long Announced as the
Four Finalists for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year
Fans Will Determine the Best College Football Player in the Country

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) has
announced that four nominees have been named for the AT&T All-America Player
of the Year award, and only the fans' votes will determine the top college
football player in the nation. University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow,
University of Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, Texas Tech wide receiver
Michael Crabtree and University of Virginia defensive end Chris Long have been
selected by ESPN as the nation's top candidates based on their outstanding
performances throughout the season.
Fans will determine the winner by sending the text message VOTE to 87654
from a wireless phone and casting their votes for the nominees. Fans who
participated in the AT&T All-America Player of the Week voting will
automatically receive a text message with the nominees for Player of the Year.
Voting for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year is open until Thursday,
Jan. 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The selection process will culminate with an
announcement during the BCS National Championship game on FOX Jan. 7.
"We have a quality group of finalists for this year's AT&T All-America
Player of the Year," said Tim McGhee, director of National Sponsorships for
AT&T's wireless unit. "College football fans will have a tough choice choosing
from these outstanding players. The strength of this award is that the fans
get to decide the winner -- and AT&T is proud to provide the technology behind
the voting. We recognize these players for their achievements on the field and
wish each of them the best of luck."
The credentials of the candidates are impressive, as they have led their
teams to a combined record of 34-14, and each player will appear in bowl games
on New Year's Day. Below is a statistical overview of each candidate's
qualifications:
Tim Tebow had a stellar sophomore campaign. He passed for 3,132 yards and
29 touchdowns while throwing only six interceptions. He broke the school
record for total offense in a season with 3,970 yards, and he also rushed for
838 yards and 22 touchdowns to become the only player in college football
history to achieve 20-20 mark for rushing and passing touchdowns in a single
season. Tebow will lead the Gators against the University of Michigan in the
Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1.
Darren McFadden led the Razorbacks' offense in his second straight season
as an All-American. The junior was a triple threat in the backfield and
finished with 1,725 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing, 123 yards and four
touchdowns passing and 164 yards and one touchdown receiving. McFadden is
third on the SEC's career rushing list at 4,485 yards and is only the second
SEC player in history to rush for 1,000 yards as a freshman, sophomore and
junior. The running back ended his season on a high note with a triple
overtime win against LSU and will lead the Hogs against Missouri in the Cotton
Bowl on Jan. 1.
Michael Crabtree has put up astonishing numbers on an offense-rich team.
He leads the nation in receptions (125), receiving yards (1,861) and receiving
touchdowns (21) and this week became the first freshman to capture the
Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top receiver. He is also the
first collegiate freshman since Herschel Walker in 1980 to be named to the
America Football Coaches Association All-America Team. Crabtree will lead the
Red Raiders against the University of Virginia at the Gator Bowl on New Year's
Day.
The lone defensive player in this year's talented crop is Chris Long.
Long, a senior and co-captain of this year's team, recorded 75 tackles and 14
sacks. One-fourth of those tackles were made behind the line of scrimmage,
including 19 for a loss (tied for 10th in Division I-FBS). Long has already
been named the recipient of the 2007 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year
award, given annually to the nation's top defensive end. Long will end his
collegiate career against fellow nominee Michael Crabtree at the Gator Bowl on
Jan. 1.
AT&T customers can visit AT&T's wireless NCAA(R) Football Portal on their
handsets to view video highlights of the candidates, retrieve photos, check
scores, track their favorite teams and download school ringtones.
Last year, University of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was crowned as
the AT&T All-America Player of the Year after beating out Ohio State
quarterback Troy Smith -- the Heisman Trophy winner -- Rutgers running back
Ray Rice and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. Voting for the AT&T All-America
Player of the Year was the highest total in the three-year history of the
award.
Note: This AT&T release and other news announcements are available as part
of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss.
About AT&T
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logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T
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SOURCE AT&T Inc.

Lauren Butler of AT&T Inc., +1-404-405-5623, lbutler@attnews.us