PROVO, Utah – The PwC SMU Athletic Forum today announced the preseason candidates for the 2013 Doak Walker Award, naming BYU running backs Michael Alisa and Jamaal Williams among 63 players on the list. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.
Alisa, who was also a candidate for the award in 2012, returns for his senior season after missing most of 2012 due to injury. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound sophomore from Laie, Hawai’i, totaled 222 yards in just over four games of playing time last year while maintaining a career average of 4.7 yards per carry.
Williams took over the starting role after Alisa’s injury and went on to set BYU records for true freshmen with 775 yards and 12 touchdowns on 166 carries. The 6-foot 190-pound native of Fontana, Calif., not only led the team in rushing but also ranked second with 315 receiving yards on 27 receptions with one touchdown. Williams ran for a season high of 155 yards against Hawaii and scored four touchdowns at Georgia Tech.
BYU’s Luke Staley won the 2001 Doak Walker Award after leading the nation in yards per carry (8.1) and scoring (15.5 points per game) while finishing third in overall rushing at 143.8 yards per game.
The 2013 field of Doak Walker Award candidates is highlighted by University of Arizona running back Ka'Deem Carey. Carey, a junior from Tucson, Ariz., led the nation with 1,929 rushing yards last season with current BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae serving as the offensive line coach for the Wildcats. Other nominees include 2012 Doak Walker Award semifinalists David Fluellen (Toledo) and Venric Mark (Northwestern).
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name the 2013 semifinalists on Nov. 14, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, who will be announced on Nov. 25. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on Dec. 2 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 2013 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 12, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in February 2013.
The award, in its 24th 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.
Nominations for the award will be accepted through October. The complete list of candidates, who were nominated by their universities, follows:
Ameer Abdullah (Jr.), Nebraska
Michael Alisa (Sr.), BYU
Antonio Andrews (Sr.), Western Kentucky
Dri Archer (Sr.), Kent State
Brendan Bigelow (Jr.), California
Beau Blankenship (Sr.), Ohio
Alfred Blue (Sr.), LSU
Dominique Brown (Jr.), Louisville
Ka'Deem Carey (Jr.), Arizona
B.J. Catalon (So.), TCU
Orleans Darkwa (Sr.), Tulane
Kenneth Dixon (So.), Louisiana Tech
Trayion Durham (Jr.), Kent State
Jahwan Edwards (Jr.), Ball State
David Fluellen (Sr.), Toledo
D.J. Foster (So.), Arizona State
Melvin Gordon (So.), Wisconsin
Marion Grice (Sr.), Arizona State
Todd Gurley (So.), Georgia
Joe Hill (Jr.), Utah State
John Hubert (Sr.), Kansas State
Carlos Hyde (Sr.), Ohio State
Waymon James (Sr.), TCU
Duke Johnson (So.), Miami
Storm Johnson (Jr.), UCF
Matt Jones (So.), Florida
Henry Josey (Jr.), Missouri
Ben Malena (Sr.), Texas A&M
Raymond Maples (Sr.), Army
Venric Mark (Sr.), Northwestern
Keith Marshall (So.), Georgia
Glasco Martin (Sr.), Baylor
Tre Mason (Jr.), Auburn
Lyle McCombs (Jr.), Connecticut
Adam Muema (Jr.), San Diego State
David Oku (Sr.), Arkansas State
Branden Oliver (Sr.), Buffalo
Jordan Parker (So.), Middle Tennessee
LaDarius Perkins (Sr.), Mississippi State
Senorise Perry (Sr.), Louisville
Christian Powell (So.), Colorado
Darrin Reaves (Jr.), UAB
Silas Redd (Sr.), USC
Bishop Sankey (Jr.), Washington
Lache Seastrunk (Jr.), Baylor
David Sims (Sr.), Georgia Tech
James Sims (Sr.), Kansas
Kiero Small (Sr.), Arkansas
Jeremy Smith (Sr.), Oklahoma State
Jerome Smith (Jr.), Syracuse
De'Anthony Thomas (Jr.), Oregon
Zurlon Tipton (Sr.), Central Michigan
Trey Watts (Sr.), Tulsa
Mark Weisman (Jr.), Iowa
James White (Sr.), Iowa State
James White (Sr.), Wisconsin
Andre Williams (Sr.), Boston College
Damien Williams (Sr.), Oklahoma
Jamaal Williams (So.), BYU
Jonathan Williams (Sr.), Arkansas
Storm Woods (So.), Oregon State
T.J. Yeldon (So.), Alabama
Zach Zwinak (Jr.), Penn State