Tim Tebow, Darren McFadden, Michael Crabtree and Chris Long Announced as the Four Finalists for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) has announced that four nominees have been named for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year award, and only the fans' votes will determine the top college football player in the nation. University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, University of Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and University of Virginia defensive end Chris Long have been selected by ESPN as the nation's top candidates based on their outstanding performances throughout the season.

Fans will determine the winner by sending the text message VOTE to 87654 from a wireless phone and casting their votes for the nominees. Fans who participated in the AT&T All-America Player of the Week voting will automatically receive a text message with the nominees for Player of the Year.

Voting for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year is open until Thursday, Jan. 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The selection process will culminate with an announcement during the BCS National Championship game on FOX Jan. 7.

"We have a quality group of finalists for this year's AT&T All-America Player of the Year," said Tim McGhee, director of National Sponsorships for AT&T's wireless unit. "College football fans will have a tough choice choosing from these outstanding players. The strength of this award is that the fans get to decide the winner -- and AT&T is proud to provide the technology behind the voting. We recognize these players for their achievements on the field and wish each of them the best of luck."

The credentials of the candidates are impressive, as they have led their teams to a combined record of 34-14, and each player will appear in bowl games on New Year's Day. Below is a statistical overview of each candidate's qualifications:

Tim Tebow had a stellar sophomore campaign. He passed for 3,132 yards and 29 touchdowns while throwing only six interceptions. He broke the school record for total offense in a season with 3,970 yards, and he also rushed for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns to become the only player in college football history to achieve 20-20 mark for rushing and passing touchdowns in a single season. Tebow will lead the Gators against the University of Michigan in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1.

Darren McFadden led the Razorbacks' offense in his second straight season as an All-American. The junior was a triple threat in the backfield and finished with 1,725 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing, 123 yards and four touchdowns passing and 164 yards and one touchdown receiving. McFadden is third on the SEC's career rushing list at 4,485 yards and is only the second SEC player in history to rush for 1,000 yards as a freshman, sophomore and junior. The running back ended his season on a high note with a triple overtime win against LSU and will lead the Hogs against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1.

Michael Crabtree has put up astonishing numbers on an offense-rich team. He leads the nation in receptions (125), receiving yards (1,861) and receiving touchdowns (21) and this week became the first freshman to capture the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top receiver. He is also the first collegiate freshman since Herschel Walker in 1980 to be named to the America Football Coaches Association All-America Team. Crabtree will lead the Red Raiders against the University of Virginia at the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.

The lone defensive player in this year's talented crop is Chris Long. Long, a senior and co-captain of this year's team, recorded 75 tackles and 14 sacks. One-fourth of those tackles were made behind the line of scrimmage, including 19 for a loss (tied for 10th in Division I-FBS). Long has already been named the recipient of the 2007 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year award, given annually to the nation's top defensive end. Long will end his collegiate career against fellow nominee Michael Crabtree at the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1.

AT&T customers can visit AT&T's wireless NCAA(R) Football Portal on their handsets to view video highlights of the candidates, retrieve photos, check scores, track their favorite teams and download school ringtones.

Last year, University of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was crowned as the AT&T All-America Player of the Year after beating out Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith -- the Heisman Trophy winner -- Rutgers running back Ray Rice and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. Voting for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year was the highest total in the three-year history of the award.

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