Winston claims Walter Camp, Davey O'Brien awards
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the favorite to win the 2013 Heisman Trophy, picked up two postseason honors on Thursday night, winning the Walter Camp Award as the player of the year in college football and the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback.
The top-ranked Seminoles claimed four individual awards that were handed out in Orlando, Fla. In addition to Winston, Florida State center Bryan Stork received the Rimington Trophy and kicker Robert Aguayo was given the Lou Groza Award.
The Maxwell Award, which honors the top player in the country, went to Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, keeping Winston from sweeping the major awards. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel also was a finalist.
Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald was the most decorated athlete. He collected the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in the nation to go along with the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award and Nagurski Award that he won earlier.
Boston College running back Andre Williams won the Doak Walker Award, Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard was named the Jim Thorpe Award winner, Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks was the recipient fo the Biletnikoff Award and Memphis punter Tom Hornsey took home the Ray Guy Award.
Winston, a redshirt freshman, beat out Manziel, Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, McCarron and Boston College running back Andre Williams for the Walter Camp award. McCarron and Manziel were finalists for the O'Brien award, which Manziel won in 2012.
Only one of the last six Walter Camp winners -- Auburn's Cam Newton in 2010 -- has also gone on to take the Heisman, which will be awarded on Saturday night. But the last three O'Brien winners -- Manziel, Robert Griffin III and Newton -- won the Heisman.
Winston has set FBS freshman records for yards passing (3,820) and touchdown passes (38) for No. 1 Florida State (13-0), which will face No. 2 Auburn in the BCS national championship game on Jan. 6. He also is on track to break an NCAA record with a 190.6 passer efficiency rating.
The last Florida State player to win the Walter Camp award was quarterback Charlie Ward in 1993. Last year's Camp winner was Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o.
Donald topped UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr and Alabama linebacker CJ Mosley for the Bednarik Award. The Pitt senior had 54 tackles, including an FBS-leading 26.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, and added four forced fumbles and a blocked kick this season.
Williams, who rushed for 2,119 yards and 17 touchdowns during the regular season, beat out Arizona's Ka'deem Carey and Washington's Bishop Sankey for the award that goes to the nation's top running back. Williams also is a Heisman finalist.
Cooks caught 120 passes for 1,670 yards and had 17 touchdowns (15 receiving, two rushing) this season. Other finalists for the award given to the top receiver in the country were Texas A&M's Mike Evans and Clemson's Sammy Watkins.
Stork won the award presented to the nation's top center over Auburn's Reese Dismukes, Oregon's Hroniss Grasu, Oklahoma's Gabe Ikard, Utah State's Tyler Larsen and Arkansas' Travis Swanson.
As a Florida State freshman, Aguayo made all 90 extra-point attempts and 19 of 20 field goal tries this season while scoring 131 points. Other finalists for the kicking award were Texas' Anthony Fera and South Florida's Marvin Kloss.
Dennard, a senior, is the first Michigan State player to win the Thorpe, which is presented to the nation's top defensive back. Florida State's LaMarcus Joyner and Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert were the other contenders for the honor.
Hornsey, a senior, averaged a career-high 45.2 yards on 62 punts this season. The other candidates for the award were Texas A&M's Drew Kaser and Purdue's Cody Webster.
