Dec. 27, 2012

NEW HAVEN, CT – Former Salisbury School standout Bjoern Werner, a junior defensive end from Florida State University, has been named by the Walter Camp Football Foundation as its 2012 “Connecticut Player of the Year.” 

Awarded annually to the top college football player who is a resident and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut, the Connecticut Player of the Year is selected by the all-volunteer membership of the Walter Camp Football Foundation.   

Werner was also selected to the Walter Camp All-America First Team.  It is the third time that the Connecticut Player of the Year also made the organization’s All-America team.  In 2001, former Syracuse and current Indianapolis Colts’ defensive end Dwight Freeney was recognized.  In 1983, BYU and future NFL All-Pro quarterback Steve Young was honored. 

“We are pleased to recognize Bjoern Werner as our Connecticut Player of the Year,” Foundation president John Marks said.  “Bjoern has been a defensive force for the Seminoles and a worthy recipient of this honor.” 

A 6-foot, 4-inch, 255-pound defensive end, Werner started all 12 games for the 12th-ranked and Atlantic Coast Conference champion Seminoles (11-2), who will play Northern Illinois in the Discover Orange Bowl on January 1.    

A consensus All-America selection, Werner led the ACC with 13 sacks and was second with 18 tackles for loss.  His 13 sacks put him in a tie for second nationally.  The leader of the Seminoles’ defensive unit that ranks second in the nation in total defense (253.7 yards allowed per game), Werner had 40 tackles and also broke up seven passes on his way to being named ACC Defensive Player of the Year.   

A native of Berlin, Germany, played three years of club football with Berlin Adler in Germany and two at The Salisbury School, which plays in the Erickson Football Conference.  At Salisbury, he played defensive end and tight end and was heavily recruited as a four-star prospect by Scout.com. Werner, along with his fellow members of the 2012 Walter Camp All-America team, will be recognized at the organization’s national awards banquet on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.   

In addition, the Foundation will recognize three individuals – former Nebraska head coach and Athletic director Tom Osborne, former NFL player and coach Herm Edwards and NFL All-Pro Derrick Brooks – with major awards.  

The Foundation is offering a "Holiday Ticket Promotion" for the National Awards Dinner. Buy two tickets for $400 (you save $150) before December 31.  Please call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267). 

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side.  The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

Connecticut Player of the Year 

Presented to the top college football player who is a resident and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut. The award is voted on by the Walter Camp Football Foundation membership

Year Recipient, Pos.  School    Hometown 

2012 Bjoern Werner, DE Florida State   Salisbury School 

2011 Silas Redd, RB  Penn State   Norwalk (King Low Heywood) 

2010 John Moffitt, OG  Wisconsin   Guilford (Notre Dame-WH HS) 

2009 Aaron Hernandez, TE Florida    Bristol (Bristol Central HS) 

2008  Kory Sheets, RB  Purdue    Manchester (Bloomfield HS) 

2007 Mike McLeod, RB Yale    New Britain 

2006 Kory Sheets, RB  Purdue    Manchester (Bloomfield HS) 

2005 John Sullivan, OL  Notre Dame   Greenwich 

2004 Anttaj Hawthorne, DL Wisconsin   Hamden 

2004 Dan Orlovsky, QB  Connecticut   Shelton 

2003 Dan Orlovsky, QB  Connecticut   Shelton 

2002 Niko Koutouvides, LB Purdue    Plainville 

2001 Dwight Freeney, DE Syracuse    Bloomfield 

2000 Peter Mazza, LB  Yale     Cheshire 

1999 Bobby Myers, DB  Wisconsin    Hamden 

1998 Carl Bond, RB  Connecticut   Hamden 

1997 Kyle McIntosh, RB Syracuse    Cheshire 

1996 Tarek Saleh, LB  Wisconsin    Woodbridge (Notre Dame-WH HS) 

1995 Tarek Saleh, LB  Wisconsin    Woodbridge (Notre Dame-WH HS 

1994 Jason Miska, LB  Auburn   Bridgeport (ND-Fairfield HS) 

1993 Chris Zingo, LB  Cornell   Fairfield (Fairfield Prep) 

1992 Curtis Eller, DE  Villanova    Stratford 

1991 Corey Vincent, DL Holy Cross    Shelton 

1990 Rob Thomson, DB Syracuse    Southington 

1989 Terry Wooden, LB Syracuse    Farmington 

1988 Glenn Antrum, WR Connecticut    Ansonia 

1987 Bill Romanowski, LB Boston College  Vernon (Rockville HS) 

1986 Richard Comizio, RB Pennsylvania   New Fairfield 

1985 Tom Patton, DE  Holy Cross   Meriden 

1984 no recipient 

1983 Steve Young, QB  Brigham Young  Greenwich 

1982 Mike Marshall, DB Southern Connecticut  Bridgeport 

1981 Rich Diana, RB  Yale    Hamden 

Printer-friendly format	Email this article

FSU to Kick Off Home Schedule at 3:30 pm.

Class-by-Class Breakdown: Sophomores

John Swofford Talks ACC, Florida State

DeMarcus Walker Cleared by NCAA

Class-by-Class Breakdown: Juniors

'Bobby Bowden Day' Set for Oct. 26 Game vs. NC State

Class-by-Class Breakdown: Seniors