Hilliard named to Payton Watch list
8/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - A total of 32 players have been chosen by The Sports Network, I-AA college football's most widely recognized information service, as official "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Watch" members.
The "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Battle" pages, which can be found at www.sportsnetwork.com to keep track of the quest for the 19th Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the top player in I-AA football, and the 11th Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in I-AA. The honors will be presented at the 19th annual I-AA College Football Awards on Thursday, December 15th. The Eddie Robinson Award, honoring I-AA's top coach, and the Sports Network Cup, bestowed upon the nation's best I-AA mid-major program, will also be presented on Dec. 15th.
Ten players who appeared on last year's Walter Payton Award Watch are included in this year's initial pool of 16 Payton candidates. That group includes last year's fourth-place finisher, Eastern Washington quarterback Erik Meyer. Meyer threw for 3,707 yards and 31 touchdowns and led the Eagles to the quarterfinal round of the I-AA playoffs.
Grambling State quarterback Bruce Eugene, who suffered a knee injury in the season opener in 2004 and missed the year, also returns to the list. Eugene finished in the top three of the Payton voting in 2002 and 2003 and enters the 2005 campaign with 9,084 yards passing and 83 touchdowns in his career.
Georgia Southern running back Jermaine Austin, Harvard running back Clifton Dawson, University of Northern Iowa running back Terrance Freeney, Western Illinois running back Travis Glasford, Montana State quarterback Travis Lulay, Southern Illinois quarterback Joel Sambursky, New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos and Appalachian State quarterback Richie Williams all return to the watch list. William & Mary quarterback Lang Campbell was the 2004 Walter Payton Award winner.
Five players who appeared on last year's final Buck Buchanan Award ballot are among this year's 16 Buchanan candidates, including second-place finisher Chris Gocong of Cal Poly. Gocong tallied 71 tackles and 17.5 sacks a year ago and placed second in the balloting behind teammate Jordan Beck.
Hampton linebacker Justin Durant, Weber State defensive end Brady Fosmark, Furman linebacker William Freeman and Massachusetts safety Shannon James are each returnees to the Buchanan Watch list. Beck, a linebacker from Cal Poly and third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons, was the 2004 Buck Buchanan winner.
The official "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Watch" lists will undergo three revisions prior to the distribution of ballots on November 21st. The first revisions will be announced October 12th, the second November 2nd, and the third just prior to the distribution of ballots. The ballots will be mailed electronically to the media and I-AA sports information directors selected for the voting process on November 21st, and will be due Wednesday, November 23rd. The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award will be invited to attend the presentation with the winner of that Award not announced until the event.
Following are the 32 current members of both the "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Watch" lists, with additional information on each player, as well as history and facts about each of the I-AA awards, available at www.sportsnetwork.com.
"Payton Watch" Candidates (Aug. 24) Jermaine Austin, RB, Georgia Southern; David Ball, WR, New Hampshire; Steve Baylark, RB, Massachusetts; Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard; Bruce Eugene, QB, Grambling State; Terrance Freeney, RB, UNI; Travis Glasford, RB, Western Illinois; Nick Hartigan, RB, Brown; Lex Hilliard, RB, Montana; Eric Kimble, WR, Eastern Washington; Travis Lulay, QB, Montana State; Ingle Martin, QB, Furman; Erik Meyer, QB, Eastern Washington; Joel Sambursky, QB, Southern Illinois; Ricky Santos, QB, New Hampshire; Richie Williams, QB, Appalachian State.
"Buchanan Watch" Candidates (Aug. 24) Maurice Bennett, LB, Lafayette; Katon Bethay, DT, Wofford; Antoine Bethea, DB, Howard; Sean Conover, DE, Bucknell; Reed Doughty, S, Northern Colorado; Justin Durant, LB, Hampton; Brady Fosmark, DE, Weber State; William Freeman, LB, Furman; Chris Gocong, DE, Cal Poly; Shannon James, S, Massachusetts; Jerome Jones, LB, Eastern Kentucky; Tony LeZotte, S, James Madison; Markus Mikulec, LB, Sam Houston State; Tom Parks, DT, Delaware; David Pittman, CB, Northwestern State; Antonio Thomas, CB, Western Kentucky.
The "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Battle" pages, which can be found at www.sportsnetwork.com to keep track of the quest for the 19th Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the top player in I-AA football, and the 11th Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in I-AA. The honors will be presented at the 19th annual I-AA College Football Awards on Thursday, December 15th. The Eddie Robinson Award, honoring I-AA's top coach, and the Sports Network Cup, bestowed upon the nation's best I-AA mid-major program, will also be presented on Dec. 15th.
Ten players who appeared on last year's Walter Payton Award Watch are included in this year's initial pool of 16 Payton candidates. That group includes last year's fourth-place finisher, Eastern Washington quarterback Erik Meyer. Meyer threw for 3,707 yards and 31 touchdowns and led the Eagles to the quarterfinal round of the I-AA playoffs.
Grambling State quarterback Bruce Eugene, who suffered a knee injury in the season opener in 2004 and missed the year, also returns to the list. Eugene finished in the top three of the Payton voting in 2002 and 2003 and enters the 2005 campaign with 9,084 yards passing and 83 touchdowns in his career.
Georgia Southern running back Jermaine Austin, Harvard running back Clifton Dawson, University of Northern Iowa running back Terrance Freeney, Western Illinois running back Travis Glasford, Montana State quarterback Travis Lulay, Southern Illinois quarterback Joel Sambursky, New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos and Appalachian State quarterback Richie Williams all return to the watch list. William & Mary quarterback Lang Campbell was the 2004 Walter Payton Award winner.
Five players who appeared on last year's final Buck Buchanan Award ballot are among this year's 16 Buchanan candidates, including second-place finisher Chris Gocong of Cal Poly. Gocong tallied 71 tackles and 17.5 sacks a year ago and placed second in the balloting behind teammate Jordan Beck.
Hampton linebacker Justin Durant, Weber State defensive end Brady Fosmark, Furman linebacker William Freeman and Massachusetts safety Shannon James are each returnees to the Buchanan Watch list. Beck, a linebacker from Cal Poly and third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons, was the 2004 Buck Buchanan winner.
The official "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Watch" lists will undergo three revisions prior to the distribution of ballots on November 21st. The first revisions will be announced October 12th, the second November 2nd, and the third just prior to the distribution of ballots. The ballots will be mailed electronically to the media and I-AA sports information directors selected for the voting process on November 21st, and will be due Wednesday, November 23rd. The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award will be invited to attend the presentation with the winner of that Award not announced until the event.
Following are the 32 current members of both the "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Watch" lists, with additional information on each player, as well as history and facts about each of the I-AA awards, available at www.sportsnetwork.com.
"Payton Watch" Candidates (Aug. 24) Jermaine Austin, RB, Georgia Southern; David Ball, WR, New Hampshire; Steve Baylark, RB, Massachusetts; Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard; Bruce Eugene, QB, Grambling State; Terrance Freeney, RB, UNI; Travis Glasford, RB, Western Illinois; Nick Hartigan, RB, Brown; Lex Hilliard, RB, Montana; Eric Kimble, WR, Eastern Washington; Travis Lulay, QB, Montana State; Ingle Martin, QB, Furman; Erik Meyer, QB, Eastern Washington; Joel Sambursky, QB, Southern Illinois; Ricky Santos, QB, New Hampshire; Richie Williams, QB, Appalachian State.
"Buchanan Watch" Candidates (Aug. 24) Maurice Bennett, LB, Lafayette; Katon Bethay, DT, Wofford; Antoine Bethea, DB, Howard; Sean Conover, DE, Bucknell; Reed Doughty, S, Northern Colorado; Justin Durant, LB, Hampton; Brady Fosmark, DE, Weber State; William Freeman, LB, Furman; Chris Gocong, DE, Cal Poly; Shannon James, S, Massachusetts; Jerome Jones, LB, Eastern Kentucky; Tony LeZotte, S, James Madison; Markus Mikulec, LB, Sam Houston State; Tom Parks, DT, Delaware; David Pittman, CB, Northwestern State; Antonio Thomas, CB, Western Kentucky.
Monday, October 12
Monday, October 05
Sunday, October 04
Saturday, October 03
