Doak Walker Award

Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions from 1950 to 1955. The player is selected by the award's National Selection Committee, which consists of notable sportswriters, television commentators, analysts, radio sports personalities and former All-America and NFL All-Pro football players.[1]

Doak Walker Award
Toby Gerhart's Doak Walker Award
Given forThe nation's top college football running back
CountryUnited States
Presented bySMU
History
First award1990
Most recentNajee Harris, Alabama
Websitesmu.edu/doakwalker

To qualify for the award, the following criteria must be met:[2]

  • Candidate plays predominantly at the running back position and has made extraordinary contributions to his team.
  • Candidate is enrolled in a degree program, is in good academic standing and is on schedule to graduate.
  • Candidate holds a record of good citizenship within and beyond the athletic sphere.
  • Candidate has demonstrated a record of leadership.
  • Candidate exhibits the characteristics of sportsmanship and fair play associated with Doak Walker.

The award recipient receives a sculpture of Doak Walker, cast in bronze and mounted on a wooden base. It was created by artist Blair Buswell, who has sculpted the busts of more than a dozen inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Notable Accomplishments

Wisconsin running backs won four times in eight years from 2012 to 2019 and Wisconsin has the most wins with 5.[3]

Ricky Williams (Texas - 1997, 1998), Darren McFadden (Arkansas - 2006, 2007) and Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin - 2018, 2019) are the only three players to win the award more than once.

Winners
YearWinnerSchoolRef
1990Greg LewisWashington
1991Trevor CobbRice
1992Garrison HearstGeorgia
1993Byron "Bam" MorrisTexas Tech
1994Rashaan SalaamColorado
1995Eddie GeorgeOhio State
1996Byron HanspardTexas Tech (2)
1997Ricky WilliamsTexas
1998Ricky Williams (2)Texas (2)
1999Ron DayneWisconsin
2000LaDainian TomlinsonTCU
2001Luke StaleyBYU
2002Larry JohnsonPenn State
2003Chris PerryMichigan
2004Cedric BensonTexas (3)
2005Reggie BushUSC
2006Darren McFaddenArkansas
2007Darren McFadden (2)Arkansas (2)[4]
2008Shonn GreeneIowa[5]
2009Toby GerhartStanford[6]
2010LaMichael JamesOregon[7]
2011Trent RichardsonAlabama[8]
2012Montee BallWisconsin (2)[9]
2013Andre WilliamsBoston College[10]
2014Melvin GordonWisconsin (3)[11]
2015Derrick Henry Alabama (2) [3]
2016D'Onta Foreman Texas (4) [3]
2017Bryce Love Stanford (2) [3]
2018Jonathan Taylor Wisconsin (4) [3]
2019Jonathan Taylor (2)Wisconsin (5)[12]
2020Najee Harris Alabama (3)

References
General
Footnotes
  1. https://www.smu.edu/DoakWalkerAward/AboutUs/SelectionCommittee
  2. https://www.smu.edu/DoakWalkerAward/AboutUs/SelectionProcess
  3. Journal, Jason Galloway | Wisconsin State. "Badgers running back Jonathan Taylor becomes 4th Wisconsin player to win Doak Walker Award". madison.com. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  4. "Tebow takes Maxwell, O'Brien; McFadden wins Walker". ESPN.com. December 7, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  5. Rittenberg, Adam (December 11, 2008). "Iowa's Greene wins Doak Walker Award". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  6. "Stanford's Toby Gerhart wins Doak Walker Award". The Mercury News. December 10, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  7. "Oregon RB LaMichael James wins Doak Walker Award". San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  8. "Alabama's Trent Richardson wins Doak Walker Award". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  9. Temple, Jesse (December 6, 2012). "Wisconsin's Ball wins Doak Walker Award". Fox Sports. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  10. Hightower, Kyle (December 12, 2013). "BC's Andre Williams Wins Doak Walker Award". Associated Press. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  11. Potrykus, Jeff (December 11, 2014). "Melvin Gordon wins Doak Walker Award as top running back". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  12. Zucker, Joseph (December 12, 2019). "Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor Wins 2019 Doak Walker Award as Nation's Best RB". Bleacher Report.
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