J.J. ARRINGTON, CEDRIC BENSON AND
ADRIAN PETERSON NAMED FINALISTS FOR
THE 2004 DOAK WALKER AWARD
| November 23, 2004 |
Contact: Jeff Lockhart (214)768-4314 lockhart@smu.edu |
DALLAS, TEXAS -
The SMU Athletic Forum today announced J.J. Arrington of California , Cedric Benson of Texas and Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma as the three finalists for the 2004 Doak Walker Award.
The recipient of the 2004 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN’s TheHome Depot College Football Awards at 7 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, December 9. The award will be presented at the 2004 Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet in Dallas on Thursday, February 15, 2005 .
Arrington, a senior from Newhall , California , leads the Pac-10 and ranks third in the country with 158.4 rushing yards per game. He has run for at least 100 yards in a school-record ten consecutive games this season, has broken the California single-season rushing record, and has scored 14 touchdowns.
Benson, a senior from Midland , Texas , has rushed for 1,599 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. He is second in the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in total rushing yards and ranks sixth in NCAA Division I-A history in total rushing yards with 5,305. He is only the fifth player in NCAA Division I-A history and the first in UT history to rush for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons.
Peterson, a freshman from Palestine , Texas , set a NCAA Division I-A record by rushing for over 100 yards in the first nine games of his career and has rushed for 1,671 yards and 12 touchdowns. He leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally in total rushing yards. He has tied the NCAA record for 100-yard rushing games by a freshman with 10.
In addition to skills on the field, candidates for the Doak Walker Award must have demonstrated records of leadership and exhibited the characteristics of sportsmanship and fair play associated with Doak Walker. For the first time this year, freshmen were considered eligible for the award.
“The competition for this year’s Award was incredible, and the Selection Committee did a tremendous job of narrowing the field to these three very deserving finalists,” said Chris Rentzel, chair of SMU’s Athletic Forum Board of Directors. “I am sure that Doak Walker would be proud to have any of these outstanding running backs win the Award.”
John David Crow, former Texas A&M star running back, was named the recipient of the 2004 PricewaterhouseCoopers Doak Walker Legends Awards, which was created to honor former running backs who excelled at the collegiate level and also distinguished themselves as leaders in their community. Crow also will be honored at the banquet.
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Honoring the legends of sports for 16 years, the SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas ,
the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The SMU Athletic Forum includes four luncheons and the prestigious
Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.