Sept. 2, 2005

DALLAS, Texas - Marshall Thundering Herd running back Ahmad Bradshaw (Bluefield, Va.) was one of 10 sophomores named to the 2005 Doak Walker Award Watch List, announced Thursday by the SMU Athletic Forum.

Bradshaw, who was the Herd's top returning rusher from a year ago with 462 yards, was one of four Conference USA running backs named to the list. Memphis senior DeAngelo Williams, who led the nation in rushing last season with 1,948 yards, headlines the list of 47 student-athletes.

Also on the list from C-USA are Houston's Anthony Evans and Tulsa's Uril Parrish.

Other candidates include USC junior Reggie Bush, a semifinalist for the award in 2004; North Texas running backs Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas, who led the nation in rushing yards per game in 2003 and 2004, respectively; Michigan sophomore Mike Hart who led the Big Ten Conference with 1,455 yards last season; and Oklahoma sophomore Adrian Peterson who led the Big 12 in rushing yards and was a finalist for the award in 2004.

The SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on Nov. 17 and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote on the finalists on Nov. 18. The committee will then cast a second vote on Nov. 28 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 2005 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. 8. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2006.

Former Texas running back Cedric Benson, a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, won the 2005 Doak Walker Award.

The award, in its 16th 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.

2005 Doak Walker Award Watch List
Joseph Addai (Sr.), LSU
Chris Barclay (Sr.), Wake Forest
Mike Bell (Sr.), Arizona
Brett Biggs (Sr.), Akron
Ahmad Bradshaw (So.), Marshall
Cornell Brockington (Jr.), Connecticut
Curtis Brown (Jr.), BYU
Thomas Brown (So.), Georgia
Michael Bush (Jr.), Louisville
Reggie Bush (Jr.), USC
Patrick Cobbs (Sr.), North Texas
P.J. Daniels (Sr.), Georgia Tech
Maurice Drew (Jr.), UCLA
Tyler Ebell (Sr.), UTEP
Anthony Evans (Sr.), Houston
Quinton Ganther (Sr.), Utah
Lynell Hamilton (So.), San Diego State
Mike Hart (So.), Michigan
Taurean Henderson (Sr.), Texas Tech
Stevie Hicks (Jr.), Iowa
Peyton Hillis (So.), Arkansas
Carlton Jones (Sr.), Army
Brian Leonard (Sr.), Rutgers
Courtney Lewis (Jr.), Texas A&M
Rafael Little (So.), Kentucky
Wali Lundy (Sr.), Virginia
Marshawn Lynch (So.), UC Berkeley
Lee Marks (Sr.), Boise State
Reggie Merriweather (Jr.), Clemson
DonTrell Moore (Sr.), New Mexico
Tyrone Moss (Jr.), Miami
Jerious Norwood (Sr.), Mississippi State
Uril Parrish (Sr.), Tulsa
Adrian Peterson (So.), Oklahoma
P.J. Pope (Sr.), Bowling Green
Damien Rhodes (Sr.), Syracuse
Cory Ross (Sr.), Nebraska
Jamario Thomas (So.), North Texas
Pierre Thomas (Jr.), Illinois
Lawrence Vickers (Sr.), Colorado
Jerod Void (Sr.), Purdue
Danny Ware (So.), Georgia
Leon Washington (Sr.), Florida State
LenDale White (Jr.), USC
Terrence Whitehead (Sr.), Oregon
DeAngelo Williams (Sr.), Memphis
Garrett Wolfe (Jr.), Northern Illinois