IU junior running back Tevin Coleman was named first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the organization announced Thursday.
Coleman is IU’s first All-American since Antwaan Randle El in 2001. Anthony Thompson was a Hoosier the last time IU had a member on the first team.
The recipients of the award are selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 125 FBS schools each year.
“Once again, we had more than 80 percent of the FBS schools participate in this year’s voting,” said James ?Monico, the Walter Camp Football ?Foundation President. “We are very appreciative of the continuing cooperation of the coaches and sports information directors in our annual effort to honor the nation’s more outstanding college players.”
Coleman was also named first-team All-American by USA Today and CBS Sports on Thursday.
This past season, Coleman became the 18th player in FBS history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. He ranks 15th all-time, and his 2,036 yards were the best in IU program history.
Coleman was also named first-team All-Big Ten at the end of the season.
Averaging 7.5 yards per ?attempt, the junior took just 264 carries to reach the 2,000-yard mark, which is fourth-fastest in Big Ten history. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon was the fastest at 241 carries.
Coleman and Gordon, among the best running backs in the nation, were also two of the final three candidates for the Doak Walker Award, which names the nation’s best.
Thursday night, ESPN announced Gordon, also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, as the recipient of the award.
The 2014 Walter Camp Player of the Year and all members of the All-American team will be honored on Jan. 17 at the organization’s national awards banquet, held at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.
Grace Palmieri
