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Stanford loses its star All-American WR Walters dislocates wrist in practice
Posted: Thursday December 30, 1999 08:16 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- All-American receiver Troy Walters dislocated his right wrist in practice Tuesday and will not play for Stanford in the Rose Bowl. "It is obviously a tremendous loss to our football team," Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham said today. "Troy has not only been a leader for our team both on and off the field, but he has been one of the best players in college football in 1999." Walters set the Pac-10 and Stanford records for career receptions and receiving yards this season. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver. Walters caught 74 passes for 1,456 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He is Stanford's first first-team All-American since 1991. He was also the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team Academic All-American. Stanford (8-3) was already an 11-point underdog for Saturday's game against No. 4 Wisconsin. The team gave no additional information about Walters' injury before practice Wednesday at facilities on the campus of Southern California. Our goal here [at the Rose Bowl] remains the same," Willingham said. "We have a tremendous challenge against a very talented Wisconsin team, and it will be our job as coaches and players to continue to focus on the task at hand." The speedy Walters was the focal point of the Wisconsin defense's preparations for Saturday's game against the 22nd-ranked Cardinal. He finished his career with 244 receptions for 3,986 yards and 26 touchdowns. He set four Pac-10 receiving records and six Stanford receiving records during his career. His Biletnikoff Award was just the second major individual award won by a Stanford player in the school's history, after Jim Plunkett's Heisman Trophy in 1971. The son of Minnesota Vikings linebackers coach Trent Walters, he has already received his bachelor's degree in communications and is working on a master's degree in sociology.
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