Florida RB Named To Doak Walker Award Watch List
Wednesday, August 21, 2002 | Football
Florida running back Earnest Graham has been named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the top running back in college football.
Graham started nine of 11 games a year ago and earned Second Team All-SEC honors after piling up 650 yards and nine touchdowns. The senior from Fort Myers enters the 2002 season just 20 yards of becoming only the 12th man in Florida history to reach the elusive 2,000-yard career mark.
Graham has been at his best in some of Florida's biggest games during his career. In his last two bowl appearances he has rushed for a combined 285 yards, including a game-high 149 yards on 16 carries in the Gators' convincing Orange Bowl victory over Maryland in January.
Some of the other preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award include Maryland's Bruce Perry, a finalist last year who rushed for 1,242 and 10 TD's and Nevada's Chance Kretschmer, who led the nation with 1,732 rushing yards in 2001.
Players from the SEC who are on the preseason list include Alabama's Ahmaad Galloway, LSU's LaBrandon Toefield, Kentucky's Artose Pinner, South Carolina's Andrew Pinnock, Georgia's Musa Smith, Arkansas' Fred Talley and Auburn's Carnell Williams.
BYU's Luke Staley, since departed for the NFL, took home the 2001 award.
The SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select eight semifinalists on Nov. 19, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote on the winner in late November. The winner of the award will be announced live on ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 12.
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