LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Michigan State senior running back Javon Ringer, who rushed for 1,590 yards and 21 touchdowns during the 2008 regular season, has been named to the Walter Camp All-America Team, which is selected by NCAA Football Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. The Walter Camp All-America Team, the nation's oldest all-star lineup, was introduced live on the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show Thursday night on ESPN from the Atlantic Dance Hall on Disney's Boardwalk.
The 5-foot-9, 202-pound Ringer, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, leads the nation in scoring (10.5 points per game) while ranking second in rushing touchdowns (21), third in rushing (132.5 yards per game) and 11th in all-purpose yards. He leads the Big Ten in scoring and all-purpose yards and ranks second in rushing. His 1,590 yards rank as the second-highest single-season rushing total in school history. Ringer became the first Spartan to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since T.J. Duckett in 2000-01.
"Javon Ringer is certainly most deserving of this prestigious honor," MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. "Javon has been the heart and soul of our football team this season. No running back in the country was asked to carry more of his team's workload (than Javon). Despite being the main focus of opposing defenses each week, Javon continued to produce steady numbers, and he played a significant role in helping our team win nine games during the regular season.
"Javon is a complete football player. He's a great blocker in pass protection; he catches the ball well out of the backfield; and he can be equally productive running the ball inside and outside. In addition, Javon has a tremendous work ethic, and he's an unbelievable competitor."
"It is an honor to have coached Javon Ringer for the past two seasons," Spartan running backs coach Dan Enos said. "He is a tremendous asset to our team, a great leader and role model. His work ethic and attitude are exceptional, and he is, undoubtedly, a large reason why we have been so successful the last two years."
Ringer has accounted for 96 percent of Michigan State's rushing yards (1,590 of 1,661) and 78 percent of its rushing attempts (370 of 477) in 2008. He has recorded seven 100-yard rushing games this season: Eastern Michigan (34 carries for 135 yards), Florida Atlantic (43 for 282), Notre Dame (39 for 201), Indiana (44 for 198), Northwestern (35 for 124), Michigan (37 for 194) and Purdue (32 for 121). Ringer became first offensive player in Big Ten history to earn Player of the Week honors for three consecutive weeks (vs. Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Notre Dame).
With his 1-yard TD run in the second quarter in the regular-season finale at Penn State, Ringer tied Jehuu Caulcrick's school single-season records for rushing TDs (21) and points scored (126). He has eight multi-TD games in 2008, including a career-best five scores vs. Eastern Michigan. His five rushing TDs represent the second-best single-game total in Spartan history, just one short of the school record held by Blake Ezor (6 rushing TDs vs. Northwestern, 1989).
His 370 carries also lead the nation - 32 more attempts than the second running back on the list. He has recorded four of the six highest single-game carry totals in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision this season (44 vs. Indiana, 43 vs. Florida Atlantic, 39 vs. Notre Dame and 37 vs. Michigan).
Ringer ranks first on MSU's all-time list in all-purpose yards (5,349), second in rushing yards (4,351) and fifth in rushing TDs (33). He also ranks among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active career leaders in carries (first with 823), all-purpose yards (second), rushing yards (third) and rushing TDs (13th). The Dayton, Ohio, native has 19 career 100-yard rushing games and 11 career multi-TD games.
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