CLEVELAND -- Northern Illinois running back Antario Brown and Bowling Green running back Terion Stewart were named as "players to watch" for the 2024 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, as announced by the Walter Camp Football Foundation on Monday. This marks the second preseason award watch list recognition for the pair as they were both named to the Maxwell Award Watch List on July 29.
In 2023, Brown became the first NIU running back to earn All-Mid-American Conference first team honors in eight years. Brown was second in the MAC with 1,296 yards and 6.11 yards per carry. He ranked in the top-20 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards and yards per game. Brown had four games of 150 yards or more in 2023 with a 280-yard, four-touchdown effort in a 55-14 win at Akron. His 21.5 yards per rush against the Zips broke the NIU single-game yards per carry record set in 1989 by Stacey Robinson. Brown is the 13th running back in NIU football history to rush for over 2,500 career yards. He is fifth all-time at NIU in yards per carry at 6.33 and 10th with 78.8 rushing yards per game.
Stewart earned second-team All-MAC honors in 2023 after finishing the season with 762 rushing yards and eight touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury in game No. 9. Stewart's 4.81 yards per rush after contact ranked No. 2 in the nation among those with 100 rushing attempts. His 78 broken tackles ranked No. 4 in the nation despite playing only nine games. Through the 2023 season Stewart's 6.3 yards per carry is No. 1in the BGSU record book for a career. No former Falcon ever rushed for 6.0+ yards per carry for their career.
The 2024 watch list includes 41 offensive players (20 quarterbacks, 11 running backs, five receivers/tight ends and two offensive lineman) along with nine from the defensive side of the ball.
The 2024 Player of Year watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in early November and three finalists will be announced on November 26. The 2024 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 133 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show on December 12.
