Christian McCaffrey named AP Player of the Year

Christian McCaffrey (above) is the first Stanford player ever to be named AP Player of the Year, the first non-Heisman winner to get the honor since 2009, and just the second running back to be recognized with the honor. (SAM GIRVIN/The Stanford Daily)
Christian McCaffrey (above) is the first Stanford player ever to be named AP Player of the Year, the first non-Heisman winner to get the honor since 2009, and just the second running back to be recognized with the honor. (SAM GIRVIN/The Stanford Daily)
By Do-Hyoung Park
Dec. 22, 2015, 9:49 p.m.

The Associated Press named Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey as the AP Player of the Year for 2015 on Tuesday afternoon in recognition of his record-breaking season and his part in leading Stanford to an 11-2 record and a berth in the 102nd Rose Bowl.

McCaffrey is the first Stanford player to ever win the honor and is the first non-Heisman Trophy winner to be recognized as such since Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska was named the 2009 AP Player of the Year (Alabama’s Mark Ingram won the Heisman).

“This award is a testament to all the efforts and support of my teammates, coaches, staff and the entire Stanford football program,” said McCaffrey to the Associated Press.

This is only the second time that the award, which was first given in 1998, has been given to a running back, after McCaffrey’s idol, Reggie Bush of USC, won the award back in 2005.

The award was voted on by a 60-member panel of AP Poll voters, and McCaffrey won 29 of the 60 votes, with Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry of Alabama coming in second with 16 votes. Fellow Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson of Clemson came in third with 11 votes. Others receiving votes were quarterback Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma and quarterback Keenan Reynolds of Navy.

McCaffrey and Stanford will take on Iowa in the 102nd Rose Bowl at 2 p.m. on Jan. 1.

 

Contact Do-Hyoung Park at dhpark ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Do-Hyoung Park '16, M.S. '17 is the Minnesota Twins beat reporter at MLB.com, having somehow ensured that his endless hours sunk into The Daily became a shockingly viable career. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer and Business Manager at The Stanford Daily for FY17-18. He also covered Stanford football and baseball for five seasons as a student and served two terms as sports editor and four terms on the copy desk. He was also a color commentator for KZSU 90.1 FM's football broadcast team for the 2015-16 Rose Bowl season.

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