Sports in Brief: Kansas hires Weis as coach

Stanford QB

Andrew Luck

won the Walter Camp Foundation's award as college football's player of the year, voted on by the nation's 120 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, on Thursday at the College Football Awards in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Luck also won the Maxwell Award as the nation's top player. Baylor's Robert Griffin III won the Davey O'Brien Award as the top QB, Alabama's Trent Richardson got the Doak Walker Award as the top running back, and Crimson Tide teammate Barrett Jones took the Outland Trophy as the outstanding lineman.

Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon took the Biletnikoff Award as the outstanding receiver and Clemson's Dwayne Allen was named the winner of the John Mackey Award as best tight end.

Louisiana State DB back Tyrann Mathieu was given the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player, while LSU teammate Morris Claiborne won the Jim Thorpe Award as top defensive back.

Louisiana Tech's Ryan Allen received the Ray Guy Award as top punter and Texas A&M's Randy Bullock got the Lou Groza Award as top placekicker.

Kansas hired former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis to run its football program. The 55-year-old Weis was in his first season as offensive coordinator at Florida after spending one season directing the Kansas City Chiefs' offense. He has also has spent time with New England, the New York Jets, and the New York Giants.

JURISPRUDENCE: Federal prosecutors objected to a recommendation that career home-run leader Barry Bonds get only probation when he's sentenced for obstruction of justice on Dec. 16 and asked that he be sentenced to 15 months in jail.

HOCKEY: As part of the 2012 Winter Classic, Penn State will face off against Neumann at Citizen's Bank Park at 8 p.m. on Jan. 4.

SOCCER: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney was cleared to play in England's final group match at next summer's European championship following UEFA's decision to reduce his three-match ban to two.

He will be eligible when England plays Euro 2012 cohost Ukraine on June 19.

Kashiwa Reysol got goals from Junya Tanaka and Masato Kudo to beat Auckland City, 2-0, in the Club World Cup in Toyota, Japan.

SKIING: Croatia's Ivica Kostelic won a season-opening World Cup slalom in 1 minute, 50.20 seconds in Beaver Creek, Colo.

SAILING: Volvo Ocean Race organizers say the global competition's multimillion-dollar yachts will be loaded on a ship with armed guards to pass through the pirate-filled waters off East Africa.

"We are simply avoiding part of the ocean which we are advised is unsafe," said race executive Knut Frostad.

- Staff and wire reports