In potential prelude to Heisman, Lamar Jackson wins Walter Camp
If recent history is any indication, Louisville's Lamar Jackson is that much closer to the Heisman Trophy as he claimed the Walter Camp Award at Thursday night's College Football Awards show in Atlanta.
The last three players to win the Walter Camp -- Alabama's Derrick Henry, Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston -- all went on to hoist the sport's most prestigious individual award, and 36 of the 49 since the Player of the Year award's inception in 1967.
Jackson is the fourth Power 5 conference player to throw for 20 touchdowns and run for 20 in the same season -- joining Heisman winners Tim Tebow, Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel -- as he totaled 4,928 yards and 51 TDs.
Clemson's Deshaun Watson, who will join Jackson at the Heisman ceremony Saturday night, won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best QB for the second straight year.
Watson also has the Tigers back in the College Football Playoff as he threw for 3,914 yards and 37 scores and ran for another 529 yards and six TDs.
He's the first player to win the award in consecutive years since Oklahoma's Jason White in 2003 and '04. Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1995, '96), BYU's Ty Detmer ('89, '90) and Baylor's Mike Singletary ('79, '80) are the only other two-time recipients.
Jackson was also a finalist for the O'Brien, while among ACC players, Florida State's Dalvin Cook finished behind Texas' D'Onta Foreman for the Doak Walker Award as best running back and Clemson's Jordan Leggett was a runner-up to Michigan's Jake Butt for the John Mackey Award, going to the top tight end.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His books, 'Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,' and 'The Heisman Trophy: The Story of an American Icon and Its Winners.' are now available.
