Brian Brunner, Dez Bryant, Graham Harrell and Mike Kafka Announced as Week Ten Nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week AwardFans Vote via Text Messages; Only College Football Honor Determined by Fan Voting
ATLANTA, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Four nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award have been announced after the tenth week of college football action, and now it's up to fans to determine the winner. Central Michigan University quarterback Brian Brunner, Oklahoma State University wide receiver Dez Bryant, Texas Tech University quarterback Graham Harrell and Northwestern University quarterback Mike Kafka have been selected by ESPN as this week's top candidates, based on the players' outstanding performances over the weekend. Fans can text message VOTE to 51234 on their wireless phone to opt in for the chance to vote.
Brunner, the Chippewa's backup quarterback, threw for a school-record 485 yards and four touchdowns, then ran 1 yard for the go-ahead score to lead Central Michigan's 37-34 defeat of Indiana. Bryant had nine catches for 171 yards, including touchdowns on plays of 11, 26, 80 and 1 yards, to help #9 Oklahoma State beat Iowa State 59-17 and clinch their first eight-win season since 2003. Harrell, already a two-time recipient of the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award this year and a Heisman Trophy candidate, finished with 474 yards passing and two touchdowns -- including a the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds -- and lead the #6 Red Raiders to a 39-33 victory over #1 Texas. Kafka, also a backup quarterback, stepped in to rush for 217 yards and pass for two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats past the #20 Minnesota Gophers 24-17.
"This was another great week in college football. These four players really helped to deliver their respective teams some exciting victories," said Tim McGhee, director of corporate sponsorships for AT&T. "We are excited to present the opportunity, but it is now all in the fans hands to pick the week ten recipient of the AT&T All-America Player of the Week Award."
Fans have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to submit their votes. The winner will be announced during Thursday's ESPN College Football Primetime Presented by Applebee's. Standard text messaging rates apply.
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 http://www.espnallamerica.com/rules.aspx.
In December, 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. 9.
Additionally, AT&T customers can view video highlights and photos of each week's candidates and track their favorite teams through AT&T's wireless NCAA Football Portal, which is accessible on AT&T handsets by launching AT&T MEdia(TM) Net and clicking through to the sports category. AT&T wireless customers with 3G handsets can also watch "Confessions of a College Football Junkie" video clips featuring Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit by accessing ESPN on AT&T CV.*
Through the AT&T MEdia Mall, fans can also download fight song ringtones from more than 150 college and universities. Animated screensavers and 3-D mobile wallpaper are available for more than 100 college and universities.
*AT&T CV requires a MEdia Max Unlimited or MEdia Net Unlimited bundle. Details on AT&T's MEdia Net bundles and other offers are available at http://www.att.com/wireless.
Find More Information Online:
Web Site Links:
AT&T Web Site (http://www.att.com/)
AT&T All American Player of the Week Web Site
(http://www.espnallamerica.com/)
AT&T MEdia Mall Web Site (http://www.att.com/mediamall2)
Related Releases:
Sports Fans Can Stay Connected With AT&T Text Alerts (http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=256
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