Freeney Earns Walter Camp Connecticut Player of the Year Honor
2/9/2002 1:30:08 PM | Football
Freeney joins former Brigham Young quarterback and Greenwich native Steve Young (1983) as both Walter Camp All-America and Connecticut Player of the Year selections. In addition, Freeney is the fourth Syracuse player to be named the WCFF Connecticut Player of the Year joining Farmington's Terry Wooden (1989), Southington's Rob Thomson (1990) and Cheshire's Kyle McIntosh (1997).
The 2001 BIG EAST Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Freeney set a NCAA, BIG EAST and Syracuse record with 17.5 quarterback sacks. Freeney's also set an NCAA single-season record for fumbles forced and recovered (eight forced and three recovered). In addition, Freeney set a BIG EAST mark for fumbles forced (eight). Freeney and the 2001 Orangemen finished the season ranked 14th nationally with a 10-3 final record. SU closed the 2001 campaign with a 26-3 victory against Kansas State in the Insight.com Bowl on December 29.
In his career, Freeney amassed 34.0 sacks, which ranks second to former Walter Camp All-American Tim Green on the Syracuse all-time list. Freeney is also the first Syracuse player to be named a Walter Camp All-American since tight end Chris Gedney was honored in 1992. Freeney had a standout career at Bloomfield H.S. under coach Jack Cochran, earning USA TODAY All-America honors as well as All-State recognition from the New Haven Register and Hartford Courant.
Freeney and all of the major award winners as well as the members of the 2001 Walter Camp All-America team will be honored at the organization's national awards banquet on Saturday, February 9 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
