Six MAC Students Named To 2019 Doak Walker Award Watch List
Six MAC Students Named To 2019 Doak Walker Award Watch List
DALLAS - The PwC SMU Athletic Forum released today the preseason candidates for the 2019 Doak Walker Award. The Forum annually presents the award to the nation’s top college running back. Representing the MAC are six students -- senior LeVante Bellamy of Western Michigan, junior Andrew Clair of Bowling Green, junior Tre Harbison of Northern Illinois, sophomore Bryant Koback of Toledo, sophomore Jaret Patterson of Buffalo and senior Breck Turner of Eastern Michigan.
Bellamy, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., was named All-MAC First Team as he led the Broncos and ranked second in the MAC with 1,228 yards (6.0 avg.) and six touchdowns as he averaged 94.5 yards rushing per game last season and added 30 receptions for 185 yards and one touchdown. Bellamy and the Broncos rushing attack ranked third in the MAC with an average of 199.5 yards rushing per game as Western Michigan received an invite to the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Clair, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was named All-MAC Third Team last season as he led Bowling Green with 702 yards rushing (5.2 avg.) and five rushing touchdowns. Clair averaged 63.8 yards rushing per game.
Harbison, a native of Shelby, N.C., was named All-MAC Second Team last season as he paced the Huskie rushing attack with 1,034 yards rushing, which ranked third in the MAC, and added five rushing touchdowns. Harbison carried the load down the stretch as NIU claimed the Marathon MAC Football Championship and earned an invitation to the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.
Koback, a native of Holland, Ohio, led the Rockets and ranked fifth in the MAC with 917 yards rushing and tied for second with 14 rushing touchdowns. Koback averaged 70.5 yards rushing per game as he helped Toledo to a 7-6 overall record and an invitation to the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.
Patterson, a native of Glendale, Md., is coming off a breakout freshman season as he set the school record for most yards rushing and touchdowns by a freshman in school history. Patterson was named the MAC Freshman of the Year and All-MAC Second Team as he led Buffalo and ranked fourth in the MAC with 1,013 yards rushing (5.5 avg.) and ranked second in the MAC with 14 rushing touchdowns. Buffalo's rushing offense ranked fourth in the MAC with an average of 189.1 yards rushing per game. The Bulls set a program FBS record with a 10-4 overall record and an invitation to the 2018 Dollar General Bowl.
Turner, a native of Norwalk, Ohio, appeared in 12 games for Eastern Michigan and rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns last season. Turner averaged 3.8 yards per carry as the Eagles posted a 7-6 overall record and received an invitation to the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced on November 20. The committee will cast a second vote beginning December 2 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 2019 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12 on ESPN.
The award, which will name its 30th recipient in 2019, 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 30 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 football’s most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Seventeen of the association's 25 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.
