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Irish Two Sport Star Is The First ND Player To Receive The Honor

Orlando, Fla. – Notre Dame junior wide receiver was not only named Walter Camp First Team All-American, but he also captured the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver, both announced tonight (Thursday, Dec. 10) at The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held at the Atlantic Dance Hall at Walt Disney World Resort.

Tate (Hendersonville, Tenn./Hendersonville) recently capped off the best receiving season in Notre Dame football

2009 Biletnikoff Award Winner Golden Tate

history. He finished with 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in 2009. Tate added two rushing touchdowns, one punt return for a score and totaled 1,915 all-purpose yards, second most in Irish single-season history.

Tate equaled or surpassed eight school records this year, including most catches and receiving yards in a season, tied for most touchdown catches in a season, most receiving yards in a career, most 100-yard receiving games in a season and career, most receiving yards per game in a season and tied for most consecutive games with a touchdown reception.

Tate ranks in the top eight nationally in nine different statistical categories and no wide receiver had more games with at least 100 receiving yards this year than Tate’s nine. He also scored at least one touchdown in each of the final 11 contests for Notre Dame.

The American Football Coaches Association has already named Tate, who shared Irish season MVP honors with junior QB Jimmy Clausen, a first-team All-American.

Tate, who recently declared his intention to enter the 2010 NFL draft, departs as the most prolific receiver in Notre Dame history. He recorded 2,707 receiving yards on 157 receptions with 26 touchdowns. Tate ranks second in career touchdown receptions and is tied for third in career receptions.

Tate is the first Irish player to be named Walter Camp First Team All-American since defensive back Shane Walton received the honor following the 2002 season. He is also the first Notre Dame offensive player to earn first-team honors from Walter Camp since offensive tackle Mike Rosenthal in 1998. In fact, Tate is the first Irish wideout to accomplish the feat since Raghib Ismail in 1990.

Tate is the first Notre Dame receiver to take home the Biletnikoff Award. Former All-American Jeff Samardzija was a two-time finalist (2005, 2006), while Derrick Mayes was a two-time semifinalist (1994, 1995).

Tate has also played for Dave Schrage’s Fighting Irish baseball team for the last two seasons.  Collegebaseball360.com has followed Tate and other two sport athletes in the Two Sport Reports throughout the fall.

(Release)

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Gerhart

The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 10 as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show, which will originate from the Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s Boardwalk at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. and televised live nationally on ESPN beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT.

Gerhart continues to lead the Pac-10 and is ranked third nationally in rushing, averaging 139.2 yards per game. He has gone over the 100-yard mark in nine of Stanford’s 11 games this season, including each of the last five contests.

He has rushed for 200 yards twice this season, including a 200-yard effort vs. No. 24 Washington and a school-record 223-yard game vs. No. 7 Oregon.

Gerhart has hit 16 home runs with 69 RBIs in his three year career with the Cardinal baseball team.  He hit .310 with two home runs in the 2008 NCAA Tournament while helping Stanford reach the College World Series.  Gerhart has been featured in the Collegebaseball360.com Two Sport Reports this fall.

Gerhart On The Diamond

The senior from Norco, Calif. has rushed for a single-season record 23 touchdowns this season and his 39 career touchdowns rank second on Stanford’s all-time career list, one behind leader Darrin Nelson, who tallied 40 TDs during his illustrious career. Last Saturday against Cal, Gerhart tied a single-game school record by rushing for four touchdowns.

He currently ranks second in the nation this week in scoring, averaging 12.91 points a game.

The Doak Walker Award, in its 20th year, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.

(Release & Staff Report)

STANFORD, Calif. – Toby Gerhart has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2009 Doak Walker Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate running back.

Gerhart

He has gone over the 100-yard mark in seven of nine games this season, including a pair of 200-yard games. Last Saturday, the senior from Norco, Calif. rushed for 223 yards in Stanford’s 52-41 win over previously seventh-ranked Oregon, breaking the school’s single game rushing record.

Gerhart joins (in alphabetical order) Donald Buckram of UTEP, Jonathan Dwyer of Georgia Tech, Mark Ingram of Alabama, Dion Lewis of Pitt, Ryan Mathews of Fresno State, Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State, C.J. Spiller of Clemson, Ben Tate of Auburn and Ryan Williams of Virginia Tech among the semifinalists for this prestigious award.

The three finalists for the award will be named on Nov. 23 and a second vote by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will determine the recipient. The 2009 Doak Walker Award recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday, December 10.

The Award is named after three-time SMU All-American running back and 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.

Gerhart has also started 105 games in his first three seasons for the Cardinal baseball team.  His efforts during the 2009 football season have been chronicaled in the Collegebaseball360.com “Two Sport Reports“.  We will have a new Report with updated stats for Gerhart and other two sport athletes this week.

(Press Release & Staff Reports)