Highest vote total in the award’s history selects Quinn as national player of the year
ATLANTA, Jan. 8 — A record setting number of college football fans have cast their ballots, and for the third straight year their voice differs from the media experts.
Notre Dame quarterback Bray Quinn was selected as the Cingular All-America Player of the Year, the only major college football award determined exclusively by the fans, after leading the Fighting Irish to 10 wins and a Bowl Championship Series berth in the Sugar Bowl.
Quinn received 43% of the votes to win over Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith (27%), the Heisman Trophy winner, Rutgers running back Ray Rice (18%) and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan (12%). Voting for the Cingular All-
America Player of the Year was the highest total in the three year history of the award.
For the third consecutive season, college football fans disagreed with the media that vote for the Heisman Trophy. Last year, Texas quarterback Vince Young was voted the Cingular All-America Player of the Year over Heisman Trophy winning running back Reggie Bush of Southern California, and in 2004 Texas running back Cedric Benson won over USC quarterback Matt Leinart.
A two-time winner of the Cingular All-America Player of the Week during the regular season, Quinn ranked third in the nation in touchdown passes (37). The senior completed 289 of 467 pass attempts for 3,426 yards, averaging 263.5 yards per game and compiling a 146.7 pass efficiency rating.
Each of the Cingular All-America Player of the Year nominees was selected by a panel of ESPN college football analysts. Fans had from December 7 through January 5 to vote by text message. The Cingular All-America Player of the Year is the final award in the Cingular All-America Player of the Week program.
The 2006 Cingular All-America Player of the Week program spanned 12 weeks during college football’s regular season. Quinn and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy were the lone multiple winners.
2006 Cingular All-America Player of the Week Winners
September 2 – Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers
September 9 – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
September 16 – Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
September 23 – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
September 30 – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
October 7 – Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee
October 14 – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
October 21 – John Beck, QB, Brigham Young
October 28 – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
November 4 – Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
November 11 – Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
November 18 – Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
Cingular All-America Player of the Year Winners
2004 – Cedric Benson, RB, Texas
2005 – Vince Young, QB, Texas
2006 – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
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SOURCE: Cingular Wireless
