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Both Players Now Preseason Selections For Two Awards
KNOXVILLE – Tennessee senior tailback Tauren Poole and sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray were both added to preseason watch lists for their respective positions on Friday.
Poole was selected to the 2011 Doak Walker Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s top college running back, while Bray was tabbed to the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List.
Both UT offensive stars were previously named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which has annually honored college football’s most outstanding player since 1937, earlier this month.
Poole is one of eight SEC tailbacks and 51 overall eligible for the Doak Walker Award. The Toccoa, Ga., native tied for the SEC lead with six 100-yard rushing games in 2010 en route to just the 16th 1,000-yard season in Tennessee history with 1,034 yards, which ranks as the 14th-best single season total at UT. He is one of 24 tailbacks on the Doak Walker Award Watch List to top 1,000 yards rushing in 2010.
In his first year as the starter, Poole earned Associated Press All-SEC honorable mention accolades, while leading the Vols with 12 total touchdowns.
In 2001, Travis Stephens became the Vols’ first finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which was first presented in 1990.
Bray is one of just seven sophomores on the list of 38 eligible players for the Davey O’Brien Award. He is also joined by just two other SEC quarterbacks. The Kingsburg, Calif., product completed 125-of-224 pass attempts for 1,849 passing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2010 to set UT freshman records in each category. In five starts, Bray earned three SEC Freshman of the Week awards and was one of just two quarterbacks in the league to record four 300-yard passing performances last season.
After being named a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award in 1995, Peyton Manning took home the trophy as the top college quarterback in 1997. Heath Shuler earned finalist status in 1993 as well, while Erik Ainge reached the semifinal stage in 2006.
In addition to Poole and Bray, two other Vols have earned spots on preseason watch lists for the upcoming campaign. Junior defensive back Prentiss Waggner is on four (Chuck Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Award and the Jim Thorpe Award), while senior defensive lineman Malik Jackson has been chosen to three (Bronko Nagurski Award, Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award).
Tennessee opens up fall practice Tuesday, Aug. 2.
ABOUT THE DOAK WALKER AWARD
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name the semifinalists on November 11, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, who will be announced on November 21. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on November 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 2011 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 8 on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, in February 2012.
The award, in its 22nd 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.
For more information, visit www.doakwalkeraward.com.
ABOUT THE DAVEY O’BRIEN NATIONAL QUARTERBACK AWARD
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O’Brien) is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The O’Brien honors candidates who exemplify former TCU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Davey O’Brien’s enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership in both academics and athletics. The O’Brien is overseen by the Davey O’Brien Foundation, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and has given away more than $800,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
Quarterbacks from all 120 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools are eligible for the award until the field is narrowed to 16 semifinalists on Monday, Oct. 24. The Foundation and the Selection Committee will announce three finalists on Monday, Nov. 21. The 2011 Davey O’Brien winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 8.
The 35th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner will be held Feb. 20, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas.
The O’Brien honors candidates who exemplify Davey O’Brien’s enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership in both academics and athletics.
For more information, visit www.daveyobrien.org.
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