Two MAC Students Named To 2019 Hornung Award Watch List
Two MAC Students Named To 2019 Paul Hornung Award Watch List
Louisville, Ky. — July 25, 2019 — The Louisville Sports Commission today named 44 multi-talented college football players to the 2019 Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse. The Paul Hornung Award, now in its tenth season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.
Representing the MAC are senior kick returner/defensive back Jamal Parker (Kent State) and senior running back LeVante Bellamy (Western Michigan).
Parker, a native of Pennsauken, N.J., started every game in 2018 at safety, but has the ability to play cornerback as well. He finished third on the team with 83 tackles, including a team-high two interceptions. Parker also sparked the kick return game for the Golden Flashes at the end of last season, totaling 301 yards on 10 returns with a long of 64 yards. Parker had 164 return yards against Toledo on Nov. 15, which is tied for fifth-most in a game in school history.
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.
The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville on March 4, 2020. The 2019 Watch List is comprised of 13 seniors, 27 juniors and four sophomores who play a total of eight different positions. These players represent 44 universities in 27 states coast-to-coast across the 10 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), as well as one independent school. The Big 10 and Pac-12 lead the conferences with eight players, followed by the AAC and SEC with five players each.
Players on this year’s Watch List accounted for 15,343 rushing yards, 18,538 receiving yards, 14,401 kickoff return yards, 2,897 punt return yards and 323 total tackles in 2018. Reminiscent of Hornung during his playing days, members of the Watch List demonstrated a knack for scoring numerous ways. Last season the Watch List players combined for 316 total touchdowns in six different ways – rushing; receiving; passing; and returning punts, kickoffs and interceptions.
The Paul Hornung Award has an impressive legacy. Rondale Moore, the 2018 Paul Hornung Award winner, was named a consensus All-American and Big Ten Receiver of the Year as a true freshman. Two of the five 2018 finalists currently are on NFL rosters, and the other three finalists are on the 2018 Watch List. Six of the eight Hornung Award winners prior to Moore were first round draft picks and currently are playing in the NFL.
Hornung, who maintains an office in downtown Louisville, earned NFL MVP honors for the Packers in 1961 by setting a single-season NFL scoring record that stood 46 years. He is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called him, “The most versatile man ever to play the game.”
The 2019 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2018 statistics, career performance, SID recommendations, and expectations heading into the 2019 season. Information about the Award can be found at www.paulhornungaward.com. Players will be added to the Watch List during the 2019 regular season based on performance.
