Inside The Panthers

Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Up for Walter Camp Player of the Year

Pitt Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda's outstanding junior year has earned him national attention.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Up for Walter Camp Player of the Year
Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Up for Walter Camp Player of the Year /
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PITTSBURGH -- More national honors continue to roll in for the Pitt Panthers as they hit the home stretch of the 2022 regular season and running back Israel Abanikanda is the next player to take center stage. 

The Walter Camp Football Foundation named Abanikanda one of 22 semifinalists for their annually awarded Player of the Year Award. This is the second year in a row a Pitt player has made it this far in the selection process. Quarterback Kenny Pickett made it to the final round in 2021. 

The Panthers have three previous Player of the Year winners in their history. Running back Tony Dorsett, defensive lineman Hugh Green and receiver Larry Fitzgerald all won the award during their time in Pittsburgh. 

Abanikanda's spot in this list is well-earned. He currently leads the country in scoring per game, averaging 12 points over his nine games played. He ranks second nationally in all-purpose yards per game (172.44), rushing touchdowns (17) and total points (108) while ranking sixth nationally with 1,207 rushing yards. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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