Texas A&M Quarterback Reggie McNeal Wins His First Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week Award

Texas A&M Quarterback Reggie McNeal Wins His First Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week Award

McNeal receives 51% of fan vote to keep Player of the Week award in the Big 12

ATLANTA, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- College football fans have rewarded Texas A&M senior quarterback Reggie McNeal for his record-setting day in the Aggies' win over SMU - naming him as the Cingular Wireless/ABC Sports All- America Player of the Week. McNeal staked his claim to the award - the only major college football accolade determined exclusively by fan voting - by establishing a school-record with 449 total yards and six touchdowns in his team's 66-8 win over the Mustangs.

McNeal is the third consecutive quarterback to win the honor this season and the second straight Big 12 player. Georgia's D.J. Shockley won the award on September 8 and Texas' Vince Young was winner on September 15.

McNeal, who garnered 51% of the votes, was one of four candidates for the Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week, who were selected by a panel of ABC Sports and ESPN college football analysts. The other finalists were: University of Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, who passed for 368 yards and five touchdowns in the Cardinals' win over Oregon State; Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton, who passed for 327 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans' 44-41 overtime win against Notre Dame; and Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart, who passed for 381 yards and five touchdowns in the Trojans' win over Arkansas.

Each week's winner is determined solely by college football fans nationwide. Throughout the season, the nominees are announced Sunday morning at 9 a.m. EDT on ESPN. Then, fans have until the following Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. EDT to submit their votes via wireless text messaging.* The winner is announced every Thursday night during the first half of the ESPN Thursday Night College Football game. Fans can learn more about the award and each week's nominees online at http://www.abcsportsallamerica.com/ or at http://www.cingularallamerica.com/.

Here's how fans can register to vote for the Cingular/ABC Sports All- America Player of the Week throughout the 2005 season:

- Text "VOTE" to "87654" on your wireless phone - Follow the prompt to vote for your All-America selection - Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Week candidates will be automatically sent out via text messaging each week

Each time fans vote, they are entered into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the Bowl Championship Series game of their choice. Fans can vote as often as they like.

In December, fans will get a chance to say who the best player in the nation is by voting for the Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Year. The selection process will culminate in December in a one-hour special on ABC Sports when the Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Year and the Football Writers Association of America All-America team will be announced. Last year, University of Texas running back and Chicago Bears first round draft pick Cedric Benson was selected by fans as the Player of the Year.

*Other wireless carriers must opt-in for their subscribers to participate

ABOUT CINGULAR WIRELESS

Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 51.6 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE:BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(SM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases e-mailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/.

Source: Cingular Wireless

CONTACT: Sarah Didier of Career Sports & Entertainment, +1-770-955-1300, or +1-770-617-8737, or sdidier@careersportsentertainment.com; or Clay Owen of Cingular Wireless, +1-404-236-6153, or clay.owen@cingular.com

Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://cingular.mediaroom.com/ http://www.abcsportsallamerica.com/ http://www.cingularallamerica.com/

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