Hardy Named All American

Pretty impressive for a guy who missed several games this year.

(UMAA)
NEW HAVEN, CT – Ole Miss’ Greg Hardy has been distinguished as one of college football’s best players, making the 2007 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team, the 118th honored by the organization.

The nation’s oldest All-America team was announced live Thursday on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show.

Hardy was named a second team defensive lineman after a stellar sophomore campaign that saw him rank fifth in the nation in TFLs (18.0) and tie for sixth in sacks (10.0). The Millington, Tenn., native also ranked second in the SEC with three forced fumbles and hauled in two touchdown catches on offense.

The Walter Camp All-America team is selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and certified by UHY Advisors, a New Haven-based accounting firm. Walter Camp Football Foundation President John Barbarotta was pleased with the voting participation.

“We had 80 percent of the Bowl Subdivision schools participate in this year’s voting,” Barbarotta said. “We are very appreciative of the cooperation of the coaches and SIDs in our effort to honor the most outstanding college players each and every season.”

Walter Camp, “The Father of American Football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also 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.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

Members of the 2007 Walter Camp All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on January 12, 2008 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. Please call (203) 288-CAMP for tickets ($275).