Marshall's Bradshaw on Doak Walker List

Aug. 31, 2006

DALLAS, TEXAS - The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum today announced the candidates for the 2006 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top college running back and Marshall University's Ahmad Bradshaw is among them.

Bradshaw, a junior from Bluefield, Va., led Marshall with 997 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season en route to earning second-team All Conference-USA honors. He also led the Thundering Herd with 56 catches for 381 yards and recorded a receiving touchdown. The versatile back ranks as the top returning rusher in Conference USA in yards per game (90.6) heading into the 2006 season.

The field of candidates also includes Louisville senior Michael Bush who led the nation in scoring (14.4 points per game) in 2005; Auburn senior Kenny Irons who was the SEC's leading rusher (1,293 yards) last season; California junior Marshawn Lynch who is the nation's second-ranked returning rusher (1,246 yards); Oklahoma junior Adrian Peterson who led Big 12 running backs in rushing (1,108 yards) in 2005; and Northern Illinois senior Garrett Wolfe, the nation's leading returning rusher (1,580 yards).

The complete list of candidates, who were nominated by their universities, follows:


Josh Allen (Sr.), MarylandMicah Andrews (Jr.), Wake ForestToney Baker (So.), NC StateLance Ball (Jr.), MarylandAdam Ballard (Jr.), NavyKyle Bell (Jr.), Colorado StateYvenson Bernard (Jr.), Oregon StateLorenzo Booker (Sr.), Florida StateAhmad Bradshaw (Jr.), MarshallAaron Brown (So.), TCUAndre Brown (So.), NC StateCurtis Brown (Sr.), BYUThomas Brown (Jr.), GeorgiaMichael Bush (Sr.), LouisvilleHugh Charles (Jr.), ColoradoTashard Choice (Jr.), Georgia TechKenneth Darby (Sr.), AlabamaJames Davis (So.), ClemsonBenJarvis Green-Ellis (Jr.), MississippiLynell Hamilton (Sr.), San Diego StateMike Hart (Jr.), MichiganKeegan Herring (So.), Arizona StateStevie Hicks (Sr.), Iowa StateKenny Irons (Sr.), AuburnBrian Leonard (Sr.), RutgersRafael Little (Jr.), KentuckyKregg Lumpkin (Jr.), GeorgiaMarshawn Lynch (Jr.), CaliforniaChris Markey (Jr.), UCLADeMyron Martin (So.), SMUDarren McFadden (So.), ArkansasRonnie McGill (Sr.), North CarolinaRobert Merrill (Sr.), TCUTyrone Moss (Sr.), Miami (FL)Brandon Murphy (Jr.), Miami (Ohio)Branden Ore (Jr.), Virginia TechAdrian Peterson (Jr.), OklahomaAntonio Pittman (Jr.), Ohio StateKory Sheets (Jr.), PurdueSteve Slaton (So.), West VirginiaOntario Sneed (So.), Central MichiganTyrell Sutton (So.), NorthwesternJamario Thomas (Jr.), North TexasMarcus Thomas (So.), UTEPPierre Thomas (Sr.), IllinoisJustin Vincent (Sr.), LSUDarius Walker (Jr.), Notre DameGarrett Wolfe (Sr.), Northern IllinoisAlbert Young (Jr.), IowaSelvin Young (Sr.), Texas

The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on Nov. 15, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote to determine the finalists on Nov. 16. The committee will cast a second vote on Nov. 27 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.

The recipient of the 2006 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN along with other NCFAA member awards on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 7. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007.

Former USC running back Reggie Bush, first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints, won the 2005 Doak Walker Award.

The award, in its 17th year, is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.

Honoring the legends of sports for 18 years, the Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas, the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum includes four luncheons and the prestigious Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.

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