San Diego, California - San Diego State senior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, California) continued to rack up the postseason accolades when he was named a first-team All-American by both the Associated Press and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) today.
Penny, who on Saturday finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy (most outstanding player in college football), is one first-team nod away from earning consensus first-team All-America accolades from the NCAA. The five official teams that make up the consensus team are Walter Camp, AP, FWAA, The Sporting News and AFCA. Penny is now a first-team pick by both AP and FWAA, and a second-team honoree by Walter Camp. The Sporting News announces its team on Tuesday, while the AFCA releases its team on Wednesday. The NCAA releases its consensus All-America team on Thursday.
Penny, who has also been chosen as a first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated, All-American and Bleacher Report, and a second-team pick by SB Nation, has rushed for a NCAA FBS-best 2,027 yards and 19 touchdowns on 275 carries (7.4 avg.), while adding 18 catches for 142 yards (7.9 avg.) and two touchdowns, 15 kickoff returns for 459 yards (30.6 avg.) and two touchdowns, and two punt returns for 70 yards (35.0 avg.), including a 70-yard touchdown.
A finalist for the 2017 Walter Camp Player-of-the-Year award, and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award (college player of the year) and Doak Walker Award (nation’s premier running back), Penny currently leads FBS in rushing yards (2,027), rushing yards per game (168.9), all-purpose yards (2,698) and all-purpose yards per game (224.8), and is second in total touchdowns (24), points (144) and points per game (12.0), tied for third in rushing touchdowns (19), tied for fifth in kickoff return touchdowns (2), sixth in rushing yards per carry (7.4), seventh in kickoff return average (30.6) and tied for 10th in punt return touchdowns (1). Penny has rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 of the team’s 12 games this year and five times has eclipsed 200 yards.
Earlier this month Penny became the first player in Mountain West history to win two player-of-the-year awards when he was named the MW Offensive Player of the Year and the MW Special Teams Player of the Year. He is a two-time Walter Camp FBS National Offensive Player of the Week pick this year, five-time MW Offensive Player of the Week winner and a two-time MW Special Teams Player of the Week.
SDSU (10-2) will play Army West Point (9-3) in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, December 23 at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Tickets are on sale online at GoAztecs.com, in person (SDCCU Stadium Window E) and over the phone ((619) 283-7378).
Rashaad Penny Postseason Awards
- Fifth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting (most outstanding player in college football)
- Walter Camp Player-of-the-Year finalist
- Maxwell Award semifinalist (college player of the year)
- Doak Walker Award semifinalist (nation’s premier running back)
- Associated Press First-Team All-American
- FWAA First-Team All-American
- Sports Illustrated First-Team All-American
- All-American First-Team All-American
- Bleacher Report First-Team All-American
- Walter Camp Second-Team All-American
- SB Nation Second-Team All-American
- Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year
- Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year
- All-Mountain West First Team (running back)
- All-Mountain West First Team (returner)
- Pro Football Focus All-Mountain West First Team (running back)
