Who is Darren McFadden

Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987 in North Little Rock, Arkansas) is an All-American starting tailback for the University of Arkansas. In 2006, he became the first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award and was also the runner-up in voting for the Heisman Trophy. Though only a junior in 2007, he is often regarded as the best running back in college football and it is widely believed it will forego his senior season to enter the 2008 NFL Draft.

HIGH SCHOOL
McFadden attended Oak Grove High School in North Little Rock, where he was a Parade Magazine All-American in 2004, and was also named the Arkansas High School player of the year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. McFadden was also awarded the Landers Award, which is given to the state player of the year. During his time at Oak Grove, McFadden would occasionally line up at the quarterback position, a skill which he is using now at Arkansas in the "Wildhog" formation.

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McFadden's final season with the U of A.

Sep 01 Troy - Fayetteville, AR 46 - 26 (W)
Sep 15 at Alabama - Tuscaloosa, AL 41 - 38 (L)
Sep 22 Kentucky - Fayetteville, AR 42 - 29 (L)
Sep 29 North Texas - Fayetteville, AR 66 - 7 (W)
Oct 06 Tenn-Chattanooga - Little Rock, AR 34 - 15 (W)
Oct 13 Auburn - Fayetteville, AR 9 - 6 (L)
Oct 20 at Ole Miss - Oxford, MS 44 - 8 (W)
Oct 27 FL International (HC) - Fayetteville, AR 58 - 10 (W)
Nov 03 South Carolina - Fayetteville, AR 48 - 36 (W)
Nov 10 at Tennessee - Knoxville, TN 34 - 13 (L)
Nov 17 Mississippi St - Little Rock 45 - 31 (W)
Nov 23 at LSU Baton Rouge, LA 50 - 48 (W)

Associated Press, Updated: December 8, 2007, 9:09 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Tim Tebow needed only two years of college to graduate to Heisman Trophy winner, putting the sophomore in a class by himself.

Florida's folk-hero quarterback with the rugged running style and magnetic personality won the Heisman on Saturday night to become the first sophomore or freshman to take college football's most prestigious award.

Since 1935, when Jay Berwanger of Chicago won the first Heisman, every winner had been a junior or senior -- until Tebow.

He beat out Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, the first player since 1949 to finish second in consecutive seasons. Tebow received 1,957 points and 462 first-place votes to McFadden's 1,703 points and 291 first-place votes.

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The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award (often known simply as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman), named after former college football player and coach John Heisman, is awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the U.S. Although not the only award honoring the best player in college football, it is considered the most prestigious individual player honor in American college football. It is awarded in December before the postseason bowl games.

The trophy serves in part as a representation of a collegiate player's chances in professional leagues, such as the NFL (to which many Heisman winners go after their collegiate careers). Most Heisman winners have amazingly high stock, and are considered among the absolute best players available on draft day in any given year. However, winning the Heisman Trophy does not guarantee future success at the NFL level. Only eight members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame have won the Heisman,[1] but four winners have also been named Most Valuable Player in a Super Bowl.

The trophy itself is modeled after Ed Smith, a leading player in 1934 for the now defunct New York University football team. The trophy is made out of cast bronze.

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December 7, 2007, NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Arkansas running back Darren McFadden was honored as the 2007 player of the year Thursday by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the first player from his school to receive the honor.

McFadden, a junior, beat four quarterbacks for the award: Chase Daniel of Missouri, Dennis Dixon of Oregon, Matt Ryan of Boston College and Tim Tebow of Florida.

The announcement by foundation president John Barbarotta came two days before the Heisman Trophy was to be handed out in New York.

McFadden is the 41st recipient of the Walter Camp player of the year award and the first player from the Southeastern Conference to win it since Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel in 1996.

The winner was chosen by the nation's 119 Football Bowl Subdivision coaches and sports information directors. The trophy will be presented Jan. 12 at the foundation's annual awards banquet in New Haven.

"We are extremely pleased with the selection of Darren McFadden as our Player of the Year," Barbarotta said. "His all-around offensive performance for the Razorbacks -- whether it was running the ball or passing it -- has been most impressive and extremely worthy of this prestigious honor."

The 6-foot-2 McFadden set Arkansas single-season records this year with 1,725 rushing yards and 2,172 all-purpose yards, breaking the records he set last year. He scored 16 touchdowns and had nine 100-yard rushing games, including a 321-yard effort in a win over South Carolina Nov. 3 that tied an SEC record.

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