July 15, 2011
DALLAS (SMU) - SMU junior Zach Line has been named a preseason candidate for the 2011 Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced today. The award is presented annually to the nation's top college running back. The award, in its 22nd year, is named for SMU's Heisman Trophy-winning, three-time All-America running back Doak Walker.
Line, an Oxford, Mich., native was named first-team All-Conference USA in 2010 after rushing for 1,494 yards, the second-largest single-season total in school history, trailing only Eric Dickerson's 1,617 yards in 1982. The tally was 11th in the country, and Line averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns on the year.
This continues a string of Mustangs on pre-season award Watch Lists, with Line also named to the Watch List for the Maxwell Award. Additionally, Kelvin Beachum, Ja'Gared Davis, Taylor Reed and Taylor Thompson have been named to the Official Watch List for the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award, Beachum has been named to the Outland List, Thompson has made the Nagurski Award List, Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson were named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Thompson And Margus Hunt were selected to the Pony Express Award Watch List and Blake McJunkin was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 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 21. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on November 28 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 2011 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 8 on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, in February 2012.
The complete list of candidates, who were nominated by their universities, follows:
Alvester Alexander (Jr.), WyomingVictor Anderson (Sr.), LouisvilleKeola Antolin (Sr.), ArizonaEdwin Baker (Jr.), Michigan StateMontee Ball (Jr.), WisconsinVick Ballard (Sr.), Mississippi StateBryce Beall (Sr.), HoustonDuane Bennett (Sr.), MinnesotaBrandon Bolden (Sr.), Ole MissRex Burkhead (Jr.), NebraskaAsher Clark (Sr.), Air ForceMarcus Coker (So.), IowaLennon Creer (Sr.), Louisiana TechOrleans Darkwa (So.), TulaneKnile Davis (Jr.), ArkansasJeff Demps (Sr.), FloridaJJ Di Luigi (Sr.), BYULance Dunbar (Sr.), North TexasMichael Dyer (So.), AuburnAndre Ellington (Jr.), ClemsonJason Ford (Sr.), IllinoisJohnathan Franklin (Jr.), UCLARay Graham (Jr.), PittsburghCyrus Gray (Sr.), Texas A&MMontel Harris (Sr.), Boston CollegeRonnie Hillman (So.), San Diego StateLaMichael James (Jr.), OregonMarcus Lattimore (So.), South CarolinaZach Line (Jr.), SMUDoug Martin (Sr.), Boise StateSam McGuffie (Jr.), RiceDavin Meggett (Sr.), MarylandChristine Michael (Jr.), Texas A&MLamar Miller (So.), MiamiAlfred Morris (Sr.), Florida AtlanticIsaiah Pead (Sr.), CincinnatiChris Polk (Jr.), WashingtonTauren Poole (Sr.), TennesseeBobby Rainey (Sr.), Western KentuckyTrent Richardson (Jr.), AlabamaPat Shed (Sr.), UABRodney Stewart (Sr.), ColoradoStepfan Taylor (Jr.), StanfordAlexander Teich (Sr.), NavyAdonis Thomas (Sr.), ToledoMatthew Tucker (Jr.), TCURobert Turbin (Jr.), Utah StateEd Wesley (Jr.), TCUJames White (So.), WisconsinDavid Wilson (Jr.), Virginia TechCierre Wood (Jr.), Notre Dame
