He didn't get to share the Heisman Trophy stage with fellow Big 12 quarterbacks from Oklahoma (Sam Bradford) and Texas (Colt McCoy) last weekend in New York. But Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell finally did get to share the same stage with Bradford and McCoy on Wednesday.
That's when all three players were named The Sporting News National Player of the Year for the 2008 season. For Harrell, the honor somewhat took the sting out of not being invited to last weekend's Heisman ceremonies in New York when Bradford won the prestigious award and McCoy finished second.
"It's a tremendous honor to be named the National Player of the Year,'' Harrell said. "I want to thank everyone at The Sporting News for recognizing just how difficult the Big 12 was this season, and especially the Big 12 South.''
Harrell enters the Jan. 2 Cotton Bowl against Mississippi second on the NCAA all-time passing list with 15,429 yards, and second in touchdown passes with 130. Hawaii's Colt Brennan heads that list with 131 career TD passes.
The Sporting News also named Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree to its All-American team for the second consecutive season. This year Crabtree had 93 receptions for 1,135 yards and 18 TDs.
_ Dwain Price
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