University of Houston Athletics
Evans Named To Doak Walker List Yet Again
9/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 8, 2005
HOUSTON, Texas - For the third consecutive season running back Anthony Evans has been selected as a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate running back.
Evans, a senior from Pearland, Texas, is one of 47 Division I-A running backs to make the list, including four others from Conference USA. Marshall's Ahmad Bradshaw, Tyler Ebell from UTEP and Tulsa's Uril Parrish, as well as Memphis' Heisman Trophy candidate, DeAngelo Williams, join Evans on this illustrious list.
Entering this season, Evans ranks 10th all-time in UH history in rushing with 2,127 yards and is seventh in total rushing attempts with 450. Despite a calf injury in the season opener that will keep him out of the Sam Houston State game, Evans is on track to become only the third player in Houston history to top 3,000 yards rushing in a career. He also is just three touchdowns shy of cracking the top 10 in career rushing touchdowns.
Last season Evans rushed for 788 yards in just eight games, averaging 98.5 yards a contest. He rushed for a career-best 282 yards against Army, which is tied for second-best in Cougar football history. Evans finished the 2004 season with 100-yard games against East Carolina and UAB.
2003 proved to be Evans' breakout season, as he topped 1,000 yards rushing and helped lead the Cougars to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. Evans rushed for 1,149 yards and nine touchdowns and topped the 100-yard plateau on five occasions during the season.
Evans joins teammates Kevin Kolb (Maxwell and Davey O'Brien Quarterback Awards), Wade Koehl (Lombard Award) and Vincent Marshall (Fred Biletnikoff Award) on the preseason watch lists for their respective positions.
The SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on Nov. 17, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote to determine the finalists on Nov. 18. The committee will 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.
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.
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