July 18, 2011
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - San Diego State sophomore Ronnie Hillman has been named to the 2011 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced on Monday.
The 5-10 running back is among 40 players on the national list and is one of three athletes nominated from the Mountain West. Hillman rushed for 1,532 yards and 17 touchdowns a year ago en route to earning freshman All-America and conference freshman-of-the-year honors. The La Habra, Calif., native ran for more than 150 yards six times in 2010, including a career high of 228 yards at No. 25 Missouri and vs. Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. Hillman led the Mountain West in rushing and ranked first among all freshmen (10th overall) nationally in that category.
The 2011 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 120 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on ESPN's Sportscenter on Dec. 8.
The award is the nation's fourth-oldest individual college football accolade and is named after former Yale University athlete and football coach, Walter Camp. "The Father of American football" is credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries, and the restriction of play to eleven men per side.