Kenneth Gainwell Named FWAA Freshman of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – Redshirt freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell has been named The Football Writers Association of America's Freshman Player of the Year as announced Monday morning at the FWAA Awards breakfast in New Orleans, La.

In addition to being named the Freshman Player of the Year, Gainwell has also been named to the 2019 FWAA-Shaun Alexander Freshman All-America Team as an all-purpose specialist.

"I'm excited to welcome Kenneth into The Alexander Award fraternity," said Shaun Alexander. "Our award is about finding and honoring great football players that carry something special on and off the field. That is Kenneth. He, like Trevor, are the type of young men we want to 'carry the coin'."

Gainwell is the first Tiger in program history to be named the FWAA's Freshman Player of the Year. He was a finalist this season along with North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell and LSU defensive back Derek Stingley Jr. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence was the first-ever student-athlete to earn the award last season.

The Yazoo City, Miss. native finished this season with 1,459 rushing yards and ranks first among freshmen and 12th nationally in total rushing yards. He also ranks first among freshmen and ninth nationally with 2,069 all-purpose yards and set a Memphis freshman record with seven 100-yard rushing games, including six consecutive, breaking the mark held by DeAngelo Williams in 2002.

Gainwell became just the third player in program history to record over 2,000 all-purpose yards in a single season. Williams achieved the feat three times (2003, 2004 and 2005), while Darrell Henderson set the school record with 2,328 in 2018.

2019 FWAA-SHAUN ALEXANDER FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM

OFFENSE (13)
Pos. Player, School, Hometown
QB • Sam Howell, North Carolina, Indian Trail, N.C.
QB • Kedon Slovis, USC, Scottsdale, Ariz.
RB Javian Hawkins, Louisville, Titusville, Fla.
RB • Sincere McCormick, UTSA, Converse, Texas
WR • David Bell, Purdue, Indianapolis, Ind.
WR • C.J. Johnson, East Carolina, Greenville, N.C.
WR • Dante Wright, Colorado State, Navarre, Fla.
OL • Evan Neal, Alabama, Okeechobee, Fla.
OL • O'Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana, Greensburg, La.
OL • Ikem Ekwonn, N.C. State, Charlotte, N.C.
OL • Sean Rhyan, UCLA, Ladera Beach, Calif.
OL Nick Rosi, Toledo, Powell, Ohio
OL Travis Glover, Georgia State, Vienna, Ga.

DEFENSE (14)
Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. Hometown
DL Gregory Rousseau, Miami, Coconut Creek, Fla.
DL • George Karlaftis, Purdue, West Lafayette, Ind.
DL Solomon Byrd, Wyoming, Palmdale, Calif.
DL • Kayvon Thibodeuax, Oregon, South Central Los Angeles, Calif.
LB Devin Richardson, New Mexico State, Klein, Texas
LB • Omar Speights, Oregon State 6-1 233 Philadelphia, Pa.
LB Azeez Ojulari, Georgia, Marietta, Ga.
LB • Shane Lee, Alabama, Burtonsville, Md.
DB Ar'Darius Washington, TCU, Shreveport, La.
DB • Derek Stingley, Jr., LSU, Baton Rouge, La.
DB • Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame, Atlanta, Ga.
DB Verone McKinley III, Oregon, Carrollton, Texas
DB • Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati, Detroit, Mich.
DB • Tykee Smith, West Virginia, Philadelphia, Pa.

SPECIALISTS (5)
P • Austin McNamara, Texas Tech, Gilbert, Ariz.
K Gabe Brkic, Oklahoma, Chardon, Ohio
KR • Joshua Youngblood, Kansas State, Tampa, Fla.
PR Kyle Phillips, UCLA, San Marcos, Calif.
AP Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis, Yazoo City, Miss.

• Denotes true freshman

University of Memphis Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Kenneth Gainwell

Darrell Henderson

Related Videos