Dec. 4, 2008
DALLAS – Georgia Tech redshirt freshman A-Back Roddy Jones has been selected as the AT&T All-America Player of the Week after receiving over 19,000 text message votes from fans across the country. This is the only major college football award chosen exclusively by fans.
Jones claimed the honor today after he rushed for a career-best 214 yards and two touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets’ 45-42 upset at No. 13 Georgia Nov. 29. Jones received 39 percent of the votes to beat out University of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford (38 percent), University of Oregon running back Jeremiah Johnson (12 percent) and University of Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing (11 percent). Each of the players was nominated by ESPN for this week’s award based on their outstanding performances last weekend.
“AT&T congratulates Roddy and Georgia Tech for their impressive win last week, as well as a great season thus far,” said Tim McGhee, executive director of national sponsorships for AT&T’s wireless unit. “College football truly draws the most passionate fans, and this award gives fans the chance to select who they feel is most deserving of the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award.”
On December 13, four finalists for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year Award will be announced during a one-hour special on ESPN in conjunction with the announcement of the AT&T ESPN All-America Team as selected by the Football Writers Association of America. Fans will then get a chance to say who the best player in the nation is by voting for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year through the BCS. Voting ends at noon ET on Jan. 6, and the winner will be announced during the BCS National Championship game on FOX on Jan. 8.
Fans can register to vote for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year by text messaging VOTE to 51234 on their wireless phones. There is no limit on fan voting, and each vote counts as one entry into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2009 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship game in Miami. Full sweepstakes rules can be found at www.espnallamerica.com/rules.aspx.
Last year, Texas Tech freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree was honored as the AT&T All-America Player of the Year, edging Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and Virginia’s Chris Long. Voting for the 2007 AT&T All-America Player of the Year was the highest total in the four-year history of the award.
Georgia Tech, ranked 15th in the latest BCS and Associated Press polls, accepted a bid yesterday to play a SEC team in the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl, New Year’s Eve at the Georgia Dome (7:30 p.m./ESPN).
