ROSLYN, Pa. - Maxwell Football Club President, Ron Jaworski, announced the 2007 Semifinalists for the 71st Maxwell Award (Collegiate Player of the Year) and Rutgers junior running back Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the prestigious honor.
Rice was a finalist for the 2006 Maxwell Award after rushing for 1,794 yards last season. In 2007, the junior has rushed for 1,257 yards to rank sixth nationally and first in the BIG EAST. Rice has scored 15 touchdowns this season to tie for 12th in the nation. For his career, Rice has rushed for 4,171 yards - the most in Rutgers history and the second-best total in BIG EAST history. Rice has scored 39 career rushing touchdowns - another Rutgers record - and the fifth-best total in the BIG EAST annals.
Rice leads all active players nationally with a career average of 122.7 yards per game.
The announcement of the winner of the Maxwell Award will be made during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show that will be broadcast on ESPN on Thursday December 6, 2007. Three finalists for the award will be in attendance for the ESPN broadcast. The formal presentation of this award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club's Awards Dinner, to be held on Friday March 7, 2008 at the Harrah's Entertainment Complex in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Voting for all three of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Wednesday, November 7 and close on Friday, November 30.
