University of North Carolina Athletics
Draughn A Doak Walker Award Candidate
August 6, 2009 | Football
Aug. 6, 2009
DALLAS - North Carolina junior tailback Shaun Draughn was recognized as a candidate for the 2009 Doak Walker Award, the Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum announced Tuesday. The award is presented annually to the nation's top college running back.
Draughn, who rushed for 866 yards and three touchdowns a year ago, ran for the most yards by a Tar Heel since 1997. He enters 2009 as the projected starter after starting the final six games last season.
The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on November 11, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, who will be announced on November 23. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on November 30 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 2009 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday, December 10. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, February 19, 2010.
The award, in its 20th 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.
The complete list of candidates, who were nominated by their universities, follows:
Armando Allen (Jr.), Notre Dame André Anderson (Sr.), Tulane Reggie Arnold (Sr.), Arkansas State aron Batch (Jr.), Texas Tech Jahvid Best (Jr.), California, Berkeley LeGarrette Blount (Sr.), Oregon Chris Brown (Sr.), Oklahoma Donald Buckram (Jr.), UTEP John Clay (So.), Wisconsin DaJuane Collins (Sr.), Toledo Jeff Demps (So.), Florida Noel Devine (Jr.), West Virginia Andre Dixon (Sr.), Connecticut Shaun Draughn (Jr.), North Carolina Jonathan Dwyer (Jr.), Georgia Tech Jamelle Eugene (Sr.), North Carolina State Darren Evans (So.), Virginia Tech Damion Fletcher (Sr.), Southern Mississippi Toby Gerhart (Sr.), Stanford Cyrus Gray (So.), Texas A&M Nicolas (Nic) Grigsby (Jr.), Arizona DuJuan Harris (Jr.), Troy Roy Helu, Jr. (Jr.), Nebraska Dan Herron (So.), Ohio State Kendall Hunter (Jr.), Oklahoma State Mark Ingram (So.), Alabama Eugene Jarvis (Sr.), Kent State MiQuale Lewis (Sr.), Ball State Darius Marshall (Jr.), Marshall randon Minor (Sr.), Michigan DeMarco Murray (Jr.), Oklahoma Daniel Porter (Sr.), Louisiana Tech Jacquizz Rodgers (So.), Oregon State Charles Scott (Sr.), LSU Da'Rel Scott (Jr.), Maryland Jake Sharp (Sr.), Kansas Michael Smith (Sr.), Arkansas C.J. Spiller (Sr.), Clemson James Starks (Sr.), Buffalo Curtis Steele (Sr.), Memphis Phillip Tanner (Sr.), Middle Tennessee State Vai Taua (Jr.), Nevada Jordan Todman (So.), Connecticut Joseph Turner (Sr.), TCU randon West (Sr.), Western Michigan
Players Mentioned
