Dec. 13, 2000

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern junior running back Damien Anderson (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington) was named first team All-American today by the Associated Press. The AP All-America Football Team is voted on by a panel of nine college football sportswriters spanning the country.

This is the sixth All-America honor for Anderson, who was also one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back and finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. Previously, he was named All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, Football News, the Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, and CNN/Sports Illustrated.

Anderson, who helped lead the Wildcats to a share of the Big Ten title and a spot in the SYLVANIA Alamo Bowl against Nebraska, set several school records this season. Prominent among them were the single-season records for rushing yards (1,914) and touchdowns (22). He finished second nationally in rushing with 174.0 yards per game, and shattered Lorenzo White's Big Ten records for rushing yards (1,549) and rushing average (193.6) in conference games. Most amazingly, Anderson set the conference marks with 54 fewer carries than White needed in 1985. Overall this season, Anderson averaged a staggering 6.5 yards per carry in 2000. Perhaps most amazingly, Anderson did not fumble during the entire season, covering 293 rushing attempts.

Anderson had four games over the 200-yard mark, a school record, including a 292-yard day against Indiana that was the third-best rushing day in school history and a 268-yard day against Michigan that was the best individual rushing performance ever against a Wolverine defense by 67 yards. He also had four-touchdown games against Indiana and Illinois, tying a single-game mark in the process.

With one full season still to play, Anderson has 3,579 yards rushing which leaves him 214 yards shy of Darnell Autry's all-time school rushing record.

THE 2000 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA FOOTBALL TEAM

OFFENSE
QB - Chris Weinke, Florida State
RB - DAMIEN ANDERSON, NORTHWESTERN
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU
TE - Brian Natkin, UTEP
WR - Antonio Bryant, Pittsburgh
WR - Marvin Minnis, Florida State
OL - Chris Brown, Georgia Tech
OL - Steve Hutchinson, Michigan
OL - Chad Ward, Washington
OL - Leonard Davis, Texas
C - Dominic Raiola, Nebraska
PK - Jonathan Ruffin, Cincinnati
All-Purpose - Santana Moss, Miami (Fla.)

DEFENSE
DL - Jamal Reynolds, Florida State
DL - John Henderson, Tennessee
DL - Casey Hampton, Texas
DL - Andre Carter, California
LB - Keith Adams, Clemson
LB - Dan Morgan, Miami (Fla.)
LB - Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma
DB - Dwight Smith, Akron
DB - Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin
DB - Fred Smoot, Mississippi State
DB - Ed Reed, Miami (Fla.)
P - Nick Harris, California