| | NEW YORK -- Ron Dayne had his reasons for staying at Wisconsin instead of running off early to the NFL.
He wanted to spend another year with his 2-year-old daughter, Jada, and his girlfriend, Alia Lester. He wanted to earn a degreein Afro-American studies. And he wanted to break the NCAA major college career rushing record.
Now, 1,834 yards later -- and much closer to a diploma -- Dayne has accomplished everything he set out to do in his senior season.
|  | | Ron Dayne added another award to his growing list Tuesday. |
On Tuesday, he won The Associated Press' College Player of the Year Award in balloting by AP member newspapers, TV and radio stations.
Dayne received 43 of the 82 votes in the AP balloting. He beat Virginia Tech redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Vick, who had 14 votes. Purdue quarterback Drew Brees was third with six votes.
"Although my name is on the award, I share it with my linemen and fullback -- they do all the hard work and I just run," Dayne, of Berlin, N.J., said. "Winning this player of the year award is nice because it is picked by the people who watch the game
closely."
Recently, Dayne won player of the year awards from the Walter Camp Foundation and The Sporting News. He is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
Dayne broke Ricky Williams' 1-year-old Division I rushing record in his final game at Camp Randall Stadium. The Badgers' 5-foot-10, 254-pound tailback ran for 216 yards in a 41-3 rout of Iowa last month to boost his career total to 6,397 yards, breaking Williams' mark of 6,279 yards.
Dayne led No. 4 Wisconsin (9-2) to its first outright Big Ten Conference title since 1962 and a second straight trip to the Rose Bowl. He carried 303 times for 1,834 yards -- a 6.1-yard average -- and scored 19 touchdowns.
This season he ranked second nationally in rushing at 166.7 yards a game. He was fourth in scoring (10.4 points) and ninth in all-purpose yardage (167.6). He also ran for 200 or more yards four times.
The numbers are even more impressive considering he sat out the second halves of blowout wins over Murray State, Ball State and Indiana. In an easy victory over Michigan State, Dayne ran for 214 yards but carried only once in the fourth quarter. The Spartans came into the game with the No. 1 rushing defense.
"This award is a great tribute for Ron, the ultimate team player, to realize this individual acclaim as the nation's top player," Badgers coach Barry Alvarez said. "He has epitomized our program with his no-nonsense, blue collar approach."
After his record-setting game Nov. 13, there was a ceremony to acknowledge the Badgers' second straight trip to the Rose Bowl. There was also a surprise for Dayne.
As fans held up white souvenir towels with his No. 33, Dayne was asked to look to the upper deck at the west side of the stadium. When he did, a gray cover was pulled away to reveal DAYNE 33 etched into the facade.
"When I saw it I was so shocked," Dayne said. "I didn't know whether to cry or laugh," Dayne said.
Madison Mayor Sue Bauman recognized Nov. 13 as "Ron Dayne Day." | |
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