PonyFans.com

2006 Doak Walker Award Candidates Announced

DALLAS, TEXAS - The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum today announced the candidates for the 2006 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.

The field of candidates includes Louisville senior Michael Bush who led the nation in scoring (14.4 points per game) in 2005; Auburn senior Kenny Irons who was the SEC’s leading rusher (1,293 yards) last season; California junior Marshawn Lynch who is the nation’s second-ranked returning rusher (1,246 yards); Oklahoma junior Adrian Peterson who led Big 12 running backs in rushing (1,108 yards) in 2005; and Northern Illinois senior Garrett Wolfe, the nation’s leading returning rusher (1,580 yards).

The complete list of candidates, who were nominated by their universities, follows:

Josh Allen (Sr.), Maryland
Micah Andrews (Jr.), Wake Forest
Toney Baker (So.), NC State
Lance Ball (Jr.), Maryland
Adam Ballard (Jr.), Navy
Kyle Bell (Jr.), Colorado State
Yvenson Bernard (Jr.), Oregon State
Lorenzo Booker (Sr.), Florida State
Ahmad Bradshaw (Jr.), Marshall
Aaron Brown (So.), TCU
Andre Brown (So.), NC State
Curtis Brown (Sr.), BYU
Thomas Brown (Jr.), Georgia
Michael Bush (Sr.), Louisville
Hugh Charles (Jr.), Colorado
Tashard Choice (Jr.), Georgia Tech
Kenneth Darby (Sr.), Alabama
James Davis (So.), Clemson
BenJarvis Green-Ellis (Jr.), Mississippi
Lynell Hamilton (Sr.), San Diego State
Mike Hart (Jr.), Michigan
Keegan Herring (So.), Arizona State
Stevie Hicks (Sr.), Iowa State
Kenny Irons (Sr.), Auburn
Brian Leonard (Sr.), Rutgers
Rafael Little (Jr.), Kentucky
Kregg Lumpkin (Jr.), Georgia
Marshawn Lynch (Jr.), California
Chris Markey (Jr.), UCLA
DeMyron Martin (So.), SMU
Darren McFadden (So.), Arkansas
Ronnie McGill (Sr.), North Carolina
Robert Merrill (Sr.), TCU
Tyrone Moss (Sr.), Miami (FL)
Brandon Murphy (Jr.), Miami (Ohio)
Branden Ore (Jr.), Virginia Tech
Adrian Peterson (Jr.), Oklahoma
Antonio Pittman (Jr.), Ohio State
Kory Sheets (Jr.), Purdue
Steve Slaton (So.), West Virginia
Ontario Sneed (So.), Central Michigan
Tyrell Sutton (So.), Northwestern
Jamario Thomas (Jr.), North Texas
Marcus Thomas (So.), UTEP
Pierre Thomas (Sr.), Illinois
Justin Vincent (Sr.), LSU
Darius Walker (Jr.), Notre Dame
Garrett Wolfe (Sr.), Northern Illinois
Albert Young (Jr.), Iowa
Selvin Young (Sr.), Texas

The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on Nov. 15, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote to determine the finalists on Nov. 16. The committee will cast a second vote on Nov. 27 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.

The recipient of the 2006 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN along with other NCFAA member awards on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 7. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007.

Former USC running back Reggie Bush, first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints, won the 2005 Doak Walker Award.

The award, in its 17th year, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.

##

Honoring the legends of sports for 18 years, the Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas, the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum includes four luncheons and the prestigious Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.

-doakwalkeraward.com-

Shocking that the SMU running back made the watch list.

He deserves to be. He might not be the best RB in the country (yet!), but he's more deserving than some of the guys on that list. He's better than Ahmad Bradshaw, Aaron Brown, Brandon Ore, Tyrell Sutton, etc., to name a few. Being on the list designates him as being among the nation's best. That's a fair claim, depending on interpretation.

Well as always, the great University of Arkansas and its beloved Razorbacks have been dissed. As those of us that live in the state of Ark know, The U of A Razorbacks under the magnificent Houston Nutt has not one but three All-American running backs. And this list did not include all three of the U of A's backs. Shame on this list...Shame!

ponyte wrote:Well as always, the great University of Arkansas and its beloved Razorbacks have been dissed. As those of us that live in the state of Ark know, The U of A Razorbacks under the magnificent Houston Nutt has not one but three All-American running backs. And this list did not include all three of the U of A's backs. Shame on this list...Shame!

That is quite a surprise. However they may need to have another award for "concrete kicking outside of night clubs at 4:20am" in order to be eligible. Perhaps the Paul Hourning or John Riggins awards.

Editing my bad: McFadden did make the list but, as mentioned by ponyte, the rest of the pig trough was omitted.

That's an In-group Arkansas joke Mrydel. Everyone else n here says "Huh??!!"

Arkpony wrote:That's an In-group Arkansas joke Mrydel. Everyone else n here says "Huh??!!"

Thanks for saying in-group and not in-bred as many refer to us.

ponyte wrote:Well as always, the great University of Arkansas and its beloved Razorbacks have been dissed. As those of us that live in the state of Ark know, The U of A Razorbacks under the magnificent Houston Nutt has not one but three All-American running backs. And this list did not include all three of the U of A's backs. Shame on this list...Shame!

To clarify, in the state of Arkansas, there is no other team but the Razorbacks. The entire state (broadcast and print media) devote all energies to perpetuating the great myths so popular in this state. Common myths are:

1. Arkansas is loaded and will compete for the SEC championship and National championship.

2. Arkansas has never lost a game; the officials have always called the game in favor of Arkansas's opponent. Thus, denying Arkansas their 87th National Championship title in a row.

3. Arkansas has 3 deep All Americans at all positions and that the 4th string Arkansas player would be first string at any other university.

Don't forget that they wear plastic pigs on their head.

smu diamond m wrote:Don't forget that they wear plastic pigs on their head.

Not nearly as bad as the pig snout over their nose. That is the norm on casual Friday.

I guess there are sunshiners in Arkansas also. Don't worry, though, ponyfan sunshiners are still the best.

jtstang wrote:I guess there are sunshiners in Arkansas also. Don't worry, though, ponyfan sunshiners are still the best.

I think the sun goes down in Fayettville on Saturday and does not come up on Sunday.