[January 08, 2009]

College Football Fans Select Texas Tech Quarterback Graham Harrell as the AT&T All-America Player of the Year

DALLAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T announced today the 2008 AT&T All-America Player of the Year, the only major college football award chosen exclusively by fans. Fans across the nation have made their voices heard and voted Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell as the best college football player in the nation. Receiving over 260,000 text votes, Harrell is the second Texas Tech player in a row to win the award; Michael Crabtree of TTU received the honors in 2007.

Harrell won AT&T's All-America Player of the Week four times this season, the most of any player this year. Harrell passed for 4,437 yards and threw for 41 touchdowns, two touchdowns within breaking the NCAA career record and had a passer rating of 163.03. He also rushed for six touchdowns and led the Red Raiders to their first 10-0 start in 70 years, beat a No. 1 team for the first time and led TTU to a school record of No. 2 in the polls. In the AT&T Cotton Bowl, Harrell completed 36 of 58 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns in the Red Raiders' loss to Mississippi. Harrell finished his college career with an FBS-record 134 passing touchdowns. He received 54 percent of the votes to beat out an impressive field of nominees, including University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (20 percent), University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (18 percent) and University of Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford (8 percent).

"AT&T congratulates Harrell on having a spectacular season and for winning the AT&T All-America Player of the Year award," said Tim McGhee, executive director of national sponsorships for AT&T's wireless unit. "We are proud to be able to deliver the technology that allows the fans voices to be heard so that they can honor the player that they choose. Our hats go off to the winner and the other nominees we are grateful to the fans who participated."

Fans determined the winner by sending a text message and casting their votes for the nominees. Polls stayed open until Tuesday, Jan. 6. In addition, each vote received an entry into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2010 BCS National Championship game in Pasadena, California.

Last year, Texas Tech freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree was honored as the AT&T All-America Player of the Year, edging Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida, Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Virginia's Chris Long.

Through the AT&T MEdia Mall, fans can also download fight song ringtones from more than 150 college and universities. Animated screensavers and 3-D mobile wallpaper are available for more than 100 college and universities.

* AT&T CV requires a MEdia Max Unlimited or MEdia Net Unlimited bundle.
Details on AT&T's MEdia Net bundles and other offers are available at
http://www.att.com/wireless.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/.

(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

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AT&T Inc.

CONTACT: April Borlinghaus of Fleishman-Hillard, +1-512-495-7166,aborling@attnews.us, for AT&T Inc.

Web site: http://www.att.com/

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