University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
FLETCHER NAMED TO DOAK WALKER AWARD WATCH LIST
8/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 29, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss sophomore running back Damion Fletcher has been named to the 2007 Doak Walker Award watch list as announced, today, by the Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum.
Fletcher, along with seven other Conference USA running backs, is among the 51 preseason candidates. C-USA's eight selections are more than any other conference, edging out the Big Ten and Big 12, which each listed seven players.
The Biloxi, Miss., native is joined on the prestigious list by fellow preseason All-Conference USA selection Kevin Smith of UCF, Tulsa running backs Tarrion Adams and Courtney Tennial, Joe Doss of Memphis, DeMyron Martin of SMU, Matt Forte' of Tulane and Marcus Thomas of UTEP.
The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on Nov. 12, and the award's selection committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, which will be announced on Nov. 19. The committee - which consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-American running backs, media members and selected special representatives - will cast a second vote on Nov. 26 to determine the winner.
The Walker Award winner will be announced live on ESPN along with other NCFAA member awards on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 6. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008.
The award, which is presented annually to the nation's top college running back, is in its 18th year of existence and named for SMU's three-time All-American running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
2007 DOAK WALKER AWARD CANDIDATES
Tarrion Adams (Jr.), Tulsa
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 (Sr.), 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 (Fla.)
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
Jalen Parmele (Sr.), Toledo
Amir Pinnix (Sr.), Minnesota
Ray Rice (Jr.), Rutgers
Kory Sheets (Jr.), Purdue
Steve Slaton (Jr.), West Virginia
Kevin Smith (Jr.), UCF
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 State
