The prestigious Doak Walker Award was created in 1989 to honor the nation’s most outstanding collegiate running back. Named for the 1948 Heisman Trophy winner and three-time All-America selection from SMU, the Doak Walker Award recognizes a football player’s outstanding performance on the field, as well as his achievements in the community and in the classroom.
Robinson had scored 20 total touchdowns and was second in the nation in total all-purpose yards (1,894), finishing the regular season by rushing for at least 100 yards in nine of his final 10 games. His 18 rushing touchdowns were fourth in the country (tied with Blake Corum), and his 1,580 rushing yards were good for the fifth most. The true junior hailed from Tucson, Arizona, and prepped at Salpointe Catholic High School.
He beat out finalists Chase Brown from Illinois and Blake Corum of Michigan for the honor as he finished the regular season with six rushing touchdowns and 422 yards over his last two games.
The native of Stinnett, Texas, is one of the most decorated and versatile athletes in Texas Tech’s history. After starring as a three-sport athlete in high school, Anderson was a two-time consensus All-American and three-time All-Southwest Conference halfback for the Red Raiders, where he set the school record for all-purpose yards. He finished fourth in the 1965 Heisman Trophy balloting.
Known as the “Golden Palomino,” Anderson was one the NFL’s original “bonus babies.” After being drafted seventh overall in the NFL’s first round by Green Bay and first overall in the AFL draft by Houston, he went on to play nine NFL seasons, including earning Super Bowl rings in the 1966 and 1967 seasons for the legendary Green Bay Packers coached by Vince Lombardi. Not just a ball-carrier and pass-catching threat, Anderson was also an effective punter, and is known for introducing the concept of hang time.
Each summer, all NCAA FBS colleges and universities are invited to nominate a running back from their respective football teams. Prior to the end of the college football season, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors convenes to select semifinalists for the award. The Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, comprised of sports writers, television commentators, analysts, radio sports personalities and former All-America and All-Pro football players, then narrows the field to three finalists and determines the recipient.
The recipient of the Doak Walker Award is announced in December during The Home Depot College Football Awards and is honored at the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet in Dallas in February.
In 1998, the Athletic Forum created the PwC Doak Walker Legends Award to honor former running backs who excelled at the collegiate level and went on to distinguish themselves as community leaders.
These awards are presented by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum, widely regarded as America’s preeminent sports lecture series, hosting four annual luncheons, and the 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.