Walton One to Watch for Doak Walker Award
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Junior Mark Walton was named to the watch list for the 2017 Doak Walker Award honoring the nation’s top running back, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Thursday.
Walton shined in his first season as the Hurricanes’ starting running back in 2016. The Miami native finished with 1,117 rushing yards and totaled 14 rushing touchdowns. His 1,117 yards were the seventh-most in a single season in Miami history. In two seasons with the Hurricanes, Walton has compiled over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 25 total touchdowns in just 26 career games.
The Miami native was one of four Hurricanes to be named to the All-ACC Preseason Football Team on Wednesday.
Walton, who was named to the watch list for the 2017 Maxwell Award honoring the nation’s best collegiate player earlier in July, is among eight Hurricanes to pick up accolades this preseason; senior kicker Michael Badgley (Groza Award), senior wide receiver / punt returner Braxton Berrios (Hornung Award), senior tight end Christopher Herndon IV (Mackey Award), junior defensive lineman Kendrick Norton (Bednarik Award, Nagurski Award, Outland Trophy), sophomore linebacker Shaquille Quarterman (Bednarik, Butkus, Nagurski), sophomore wide receiver Ahmmon Richards (Biletnikoff Award) and senior defensive lineman Chad Thomas (Nagurski) have also been recognized.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists on Nov. 15. Three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced Nov. 20. The committee will cast a second vote beginning Nov. 26 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2017 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 7 on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2018 in Dallas.
The award, which will name its 28th recipient in 2017, 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 28 years, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas, the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum includes four luncheons and the prestigious Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.
The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football¹s most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 22 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a two-week period this month. Sixteen of the association’s 22 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award¹s preseason candidates. The Walter Camp Award watch list will be released July 21.
