LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It was billed as college football's Oscar Night, and by the time it was finished, Larry Fitzgerald was the clear-cut star. Sporting his trademark cornrows hairdo and natty double-breasted dark suit, the Pitt sophomore receiver was the "who" in this who's who of playmakers, in a group that included Jason White of Oklahoma, Kevin Jones of Virginia Tech and Eli Manning of Mississippi. Fitzgerald won the Walter Camp Award as the nation's top player prior to ESPN's awards show, and was named the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiver. "That guy ... is awesome," Southern Cal wideout Mike Williams said. "Absolutely, unbelievably awesome. You can't say much more than that. I've seen his catches. Wooooh!" "Fitzgerald?" said White, a quarterback who will vie for the Heisman Trophy on Saturday in New York with Fitzgerald, Manning and tailback Chris Perry of Michigan. "When I met him here, I was like, 'Oh man. He is a specimen.'" Fitzgerald beat out White, who's thrown 40 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, and Manning, who averages 278.4 passing yards and amassed 27 touchdowns, for the Walter Camp. Fitzgerald joins 1976 Heisman winner Tony Dorsett and defensive end Hugh Green (Class of '80) as Water Camp honorees from Pitt. Could the Heisman be next• Thirty-five of the previous 40 Walter Camp winners went on to win college football's top honor. "Why not?" said former Pitt defensive end Hugh Green, a member of the Walter Camp committee and a runner-up to running back George Rogers of South Carolina for the Heisman in 1980. "It shouldn't matter if he's a sophomore or a wide receiver. He's the best man. He should win." Manning beat out Fitzgerald and White for the Maxwell Award (best all-around player). The past three Maxwell winners failed to win the Heisman. "I don't know if this will lead to a Heisman or not," Manning said. "Look at what Larry's done. Look at Chris and Jason. I'm up against some great ones." As Fitzgerald collected his hardware, Pitt coach Walt Harris, offensive coordinator J.D. Brookhart and dad Larry Fitzgerald Sr. looked on with pride. Harris turned out his second Biletnikoff winner since 2000, giving Pitt the distinction of being the only team in NCAA history to have two winners, which also includes Antonio Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys. Brookhart relished the fact that Pitt has firmly become a hotbed for wide receivers. And Larry Fitzgerald Sr. continued to witness a storybook tale unfold before his eyes, particularly for a family that is dealing with the death of his wife, Carol, in April. "He's shielded a lot of his pain," the elder Fitzgerald said. "He's fought on. It's such a great feeling for all of us. We're so, so proud of this kid." True to his demeanor all season, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. took the accolades in stride, complimenting his competitors and deflecting any credit sent his way. He thanked his teammates, Harris and Brookhart, his dad, his quarterback, the voters and anybody and everybody. Truth be told, it appeared that all the attention finally got to the savvy 20-year old, who became the first sophomore in history to win the Walter Camp, and is attempting to become the first sophomore/non-kickoff-returning wide receiver to win the Heisman. Fitzgerald woke up early to be interviewed for the ESPN2 talk show "Cold Pizza," and was mobbed by autograph seekers throughout the day. By the time he walked up on stage to receive the Biletnikoff from ESPN's Chris Fowler, he was nearly speechless. "It's a great feeling," he said, biting off his words. He later regained his composure and met with a group of reporters huddled in the back of the Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney's Boardwalk. They wanted to know what it was like to beat out Mike Williams (87 catches and 16 touchdowns) and Mark Clayton of Oklahoma (79 receptions and 15 touchdowns) for, perhaps, the most competitive Biletnikoff in history. They wanted to know if he thought he could win the Heisman. They wondered why he idolizes a former running back (Barry Sanders) instead of some of the NCAA's great wideouts. And, of course, they marveled over these statistics: 87 catches (No. 1 in NCAA), 1,595 yards (No. 1) and 22 touchdowns (No. 1). He's caught a touchdown pass in an NCAA-record 18 consecutive games and tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a touchdown reception in a season with 12, equaling Randy Moss of Marshall. He could set the mark with a TD catch against Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl on Dec. 27 in Charlotte for the 8-4 Panthers. "This is very exciting," Fitzgerald said. "It will help the program and it will help with recruiting. It's one of those things you know about, but don't think you'll ever get it. It's a great experience. I don't feel like anybody lost anything here. Just to be a finalist means you won."

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