2007 Doak Walker Award Candidates Announced

            DALLAS, TEXAS - The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum announced today candidates for the 2007 Doak Walker Award. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.

          The field of candidates includes 2006 Doak Walker Award recipient Arkansas junior Darren McFadden, as well as 2006 Doak Walker Award finalists Michigan senior Mike Hart and West Virginia junior Steve Slaton. Other candidates include Boise State junior Ian Johnson, who led the nation in touchdowns last season; and Rutgers junior Ray Rice who rushed for more yards than any returning player and set a Big East record with 1,794 yards in 2006.

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

Tarrion Adams (Jr.), Tulsa

Anthony Alridge (Sr.), Houston

Reggie Arnold (So.), Arkansas State

Toney Baker (Jr.), NC State

Lance Ball (Sr.), Maryland

Yvenson Bernard (Sr.), Oregon State

Curtis Brinkley (Jr.), Syracuse

Aaron Brown (Jr.), TCU

Andre Brown (Jr.), NC State

Donald Brown (So.), Connecticut

Thomas Brown (Sr.), Georgia

Kenny Cattouse (Sr.), Troy

Hugh Charles (Sr.), Colorado

Jamaal Charles (Jr.), Texas

James Davis (Jr.), Clemson

Calvin Dawson (Sr.), UL Monroe

Joseph Doss (Sr.), Memphis

Rodney Ferguson (Jr.), New Mexico

Damion Fletcher (So.), Southern Miss.

Justin Forsett (Sr.), California

Matt Forté (Sr.), Tulane

Mike Goodson (So.), Texas A&M

BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Sr.), Mississippi

Mike Hart (Sr.), Michigan

P.J. Hill (So.), Wisconsin

Patrick Jackson (Jr.), Louisiana Tech

Javarris James (So.), Miami (FL)

Ian Johnson (Jr.), Boise State

Felix Jones (Jr.), Arkansas

Jorvorskie Lane (Jr.), Texas A&M

Rafael Little (Sr.), Kentucky

Marlon Lucky (Jr.), Nebraska

Kregg Lumpkin (Sr.), Georgia

Chris Markey (Sr.), UCLA

DeMyron Martin (Jr.), SMU

Darren McFadden (Jr.), Arkansas

Rashard Mendenhall (Jr.), Illinois

Branden Ore (Jr.) Virginia Tech

Jalen Parmele (Sr.), Toledo

Amir Pinnix (Sr.), Minnesota

Ray Rice (Jr.), Rutgers

Dantrell Savage (Jr.), Oklahoma State

Kory Sheets (Sr.), Purdue

Steve Slaton (Jr.), West Virginia

Kevin Smith (Jr.), Central Florida

Ontario Sneed (Jr.), Central Michigan

C.J. Spiller (So.), Clemson

Tyrell Sutton (Jr.), Northwestern

Courtney Tennial (Sr.), Tulsa

Marcus Thomas (Sr.), UTEP

Ryan Torain (Sr.), Arizona State

Chris Wells (So.), Ohio State

Shannon Woods (Jr.), Texas Tech

Albert Young (Sr.), Iowa

            The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on November 12, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists to be announced on November 19. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on November 26 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 2007 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN along with other NCFAA member awards on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 6. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, February 15, 2008.

            The award, in its 18^th 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 19 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-