Pony Express Award to recognize excellence among teammates

[PonyPride]

Pony Express Award to recognize excellence among teammates

DALLAS (June 7, 2011) – Which teammates will form the most dynamic combination in college football this season?

Will it be Stanford’s dynamic trio of quarterback Andrew Luck, wide receiver Chris Owusu and tight end Coby Fleener? How about Auburn’s bruising backfield of running backs Michael Dyer and Ontario McCalebb? Or on the defensive side of the ball, perhaps Notre Dame linebackers Manti Te’o and Darius Flemming?

All three combinations are among the 48 tandems included on the Watch List, released today, for the inaugural Pony Express Award. The award, the brainchild of SMU’s legendary Pony Express backfield of Craig James and Eric Dickerson, will look at two- and three-player tandems from across the nation, ultimately honoring the combination whose work ethic, desire, on- and off-field leadership and playmaking ability best fuel their team.

The award, voted on by a blue ribbon panel of experts that will form the award’s board of directors, will be announced at the conclusion of the 2011 regular season.

“Eric and I were able to complement each other on the field in such a way that together we formed a much more potent weapon than even our individual talents would have suggested,” said James. “We have remained life-long friends, and each season we have always had fun talking about the great tandems that were making an imprint on the game that season. We decided someone should recognize these great combinations, and that really became the genesis of the Pony Express Award.”

Said Dickerson: “You usually talk about football in terms of offensive and defensive units and the individual standouts on either side of the ball. But if you look at those units, usually there are a couple of guys who stick out and really form a very tough matchup. The most obvious would be a great quarterback and a standout receiver. In Craig and mine’s case, it was two great running backs. On defense, it might be a pair of great safeties. These are the types of tandems we will be looking at.”

As one of the most prolific backfields in college football history, the Pony Express, Dickerson and James led SMU to a 10-0-1 record in 1982, finishing the year ranked No. 2 in the country. As juniors in 1981, the pair combined to rush for 2,575 yards and 27 touchdowns, leading the Ponies to a 10-1 record and the finishing the season ranked No. 5 in the AP poll. Dickerson would go on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, being named to the league’s all-decade team for the 1980s, while James had a stellar career for the New England Patriots, rushing for more than 1,200 yards in 1985 to lead the Pats to Super Bowl XX. James currently serves as a college football analyst for ESPN on ABC.

A gala dinner to honor this year’s Pony Express Award recipients will be held after the season. More information on that event will be available at the start of the college football season.

[ponyte]

Cool

[mrydel]

Maybe they will notice Ponyte and me for traveling to the games together.

[Water Pony]

The original college duo, Army's Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside

Together they were the 1940’s version of the dynamic duo. Individually they each earned a Heisman Trophy. One in 1945; the other in 1946. In their three years together at West Point, the Cadets didn’t lose a game, going 27-0-1, and winning back-to-back national championships. One was a powerful, bulldozing fullback; the other, a fleet-footed and ankle-breaking halfback. To their teammates and coaches they were simply Felix “Doc” Blanchard and Glenn Davis. But to admiring football fans everywhere, they were better known as Mr. Inside, Mr. Outside.

http://csifootball.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... r-outside/

[ponyte]

Maybe they will notice Ponyte and me for traveling to the games together.

An award like this would be insignificant compared to the sacrifice we will make this fall without the Miss State play by play guy.

[ponyscott]

Maybe they will notice Ponyte and me for traveling to the games together.

Maybe so..I'm getting misty eyed.

[mustangbill67]

Hope they do not make the gala dinner so expesnive that only the high rollers can attend. Of course, OTP may give me a scholarship.

[One Trick Pony]

Hope they do not make the gala dinner so expesnive that only the high rollers can attend. Of course, OTP may give me a scholarship.

Did you get paid from the last dinner from those OTHER GUYS?

[PK]

Hopefully this will help to keep SMU's name and football program on the national scene by way of the "Pony Express". Nice.

[SMU89]

Preliminary list....
http://usc.247sports.com/Article/PONY-E ... WARD-27920

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Taylor Thompson And Margus Hunt Selected To Pony Express Award Watch List
Pair Of Defensive Ends Among 48 Tandems Listed

DALLAS (SMU) --- SMU defensive ends Taylor Thompson and Margus Hunt were among 48 tandems selected to the watch list for the inaugural Pony Express Award. The award, the brainchild of SMU's legendary Pony Express backfield of Craig James and Eric Dickerson, will look at two- and three-player tandems from across the nation, ultimately honoring the combination whose work ethic, desire, on- and off-field leadership, and playmaking ability best fuel their team.

Thompson, a senior from Prosper, Texas, started in all 14 games last season and was named All-Conference USA First Team. He posted 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and three QB hurries on the season. Hunt, a junior from Karksi-Nuia, Estonia, started 13 games in 2010. He was selected All-Conference USA honorable mention after recording three sacks, 45 tackles and 6.5 tackles-for-loss. He also blocked three kicks last season and has 10 blocked kicks for his career, which is sixth in NCAA history.

The award, voted on by a blue-ribbon panel of experts that will form the honor's board of directors, will be announced at the conclusion of the 2011 regular season.

As one of the most prolific backfields in college football history, the Pony Express of Dickerson and James led SMU to a 10-0-1 record in 1982, finishing the year ranked No. 2 in the country. As juniors in 1981, the pair combined to rush for 2,575 yards and 27 touchdowns, leading the Ponies to a 10-1 record and the finishing the season ranked No. 5 in the AP poll. Dickerson would go on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, being named to the league's all-decade team for the 1980s, while James had a stellar career for the New England Patriots, rushing for more than 1,200 yards in 1985 to lead the Pats to Super Bowl XX. James currently serves as a college football analyst for ESPN on ABC.

[SMU89]

Free press.....

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_co ... ation.html

[davidpaul123]

Hopefully this will help to keep SMU's name and football program on the national scene by way of the "Pony Express". Nice.

This is definately the biggest benefit for this award. It puts SMU and the Pony Express out there in a National way.

[HB Pony Dad]

Sounds interesting but kind of broad and vague. I find it ironic that an award that celebrates those values comes from two players who graduated from the only program to receive the NCAA death penalty and right after the scandals at USC and Ohio State. After watching ESPN's 30 for 30 Pony Excess, this appears to be just another step to rebuild the Mustang's image.

BC Interruption

[ReedFrawg]

I am sure you guys will say that I am just an SMU hater but I really have a problem with naming awards after players who were involved in a cheating scandal (regardless of their school). Why don't we add a Reggie Bush award or the Terrel Pryor award???