Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Vann Named Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate
7/14/2016 10:08:00 AM | Football
The Doak Walker Award winner will be announced Dec. 8
DALLAS (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan University redshirt sophomore Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams) has been named a preseason candidate for the 2016 Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top college running back, according to an announcement by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum, Thursday, July 14.
Vann is one of four Mid-American Conference running backs named to the 76-man watchlist. The South Bend, Ind. native is looking for a breakout season in his first year as the primary running back for EMU.
In 2015, Vann appeared in all 12 games for EMU, starting four contests. He finished the season second on the team in rushing with 586 yards on 100 carries, as well as five scores. Vann was the Eagles' top receiving threat out of the backfield, totaling 37 receptions for 269 yards and one touchdown. For his efforts, he was named EMU's Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists on Nov. 16, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on Nov. 22. The committee will cast a second vote beginning Nov. 28 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members, and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2016 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards, Thursday, Dec. 8, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in early 2017.
The award, which will name its 27th recipient in 2016, 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.
Vann and the Eagles open the 2016 season under the lights at "The Factory" inside Rynearson Stadium Friday, Sept. 2, versus Mississippi Valley State. Both full season and flex package tickets are now available for purchase at EMUEagles.com/tickets, by calling 734.487.2282 or by visiting the EMU Ticket Office daily between 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
2016 Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidates
(in alphabetical order)
Josh Adams (So.), Notre Dame
Saquon Barkley (So.), Penn State
Jamauri Bogan (So.), W. Michigan
Joel Bouagnon (Sr.), Northern Illinois
Matt Breida (Sr.), Georgia Southern
Shannon Brooks (So.), Minnesota
Algernon Brown (Sr.), BYU
James Butler (Jr.), Nevada
Nick Chubb (Jr.), Georgia
Jordan Chunn (Jr.), Troy
Corey Clement (Sr.), Wisconsin
James Conner (Jr.), Pittsburgh
Dalvin Cook (Jr.), Florida State
Marcus Cox (Sr.), Appalachian State
LeShun Daniels, Jr. (Sr.), Iowa
Justin Davis (Sr.), USC
Matthew Dayes (Sr.), NC State
Jela Duncan (Sr.), Duke
D'Andre Ferby (So.), W. Kentucky
Tarean Folston (Sr.), Notre Dame
D'Onta Foreman (Jr.), Texas
Leonard Fournette (Jr.), LSU
Jarvion Franklin (Jr.), W. Michigan
Royce Freeman (Jr.), Oregon
Wayne Gallman (Jr.), Clemson
Myles Gaskin (So.), Washington
Damien Harris (So.), Alabama
Paul Harris (Sr.), Hawaii
Kyle Hicks (Jr.), TCU
Brian Hill (Jr.), Wyoming
Dontrell Hilliard (Jr.), Tulane
Brandon Holloway (Sr.), Miss. State
Elijah Hood (Jr.), North Carolina
Jalen Hurd (Jr.), Tennessee
Johnny Jefferson (Jr.), Baylor
Aaron Jones (Jr.), UTEP
Charles Jones (Sr.), Kansas State
Markell Jones (So.), Purdue
Ronald Jones II (So.), USC
Alvin Kamara (Jr.), Tennessee
Ray Lawry (Jr.), Old Dominion
Phillip Lindsay (So.), Colorado
Shock Linwood (Sr.), Baylor
Marlon Mack (Jr.), South Florida
Devante Mays (Sr.), Utah State
Christian McCaffrey (Jr.), Stanford
Elijah McGuire (Sr.), UL-Lafayette
Sony Michel (Jr.), Georgia
Taquan Mizzell (Sr.), Virginia
Khalfani Muhammad (Sr.), Cal
Terrell Newby (Sr.), Nebraska
Arkeel Newsome (Jr.), Connecticut
Jacobi Owens (Sr.), Air Force
Samaje Perine (Jr.), Oklahoma
Donnel Pumphrey (Sr.), SDSU
Devine Redding (Jr.), Indiana
Larry Rose III (Jr.), New Mexico State
Bo Scarbrough (So.), Alabama
De'Veon Smith (Sr.), Michigan
Justin Stockton (Jr.), Texas Tech
Shaq Vann (So.), Eastern Michigan
Ke'Shawn Vaughn (So.), Illinois
Anthony Wales (Sr.), W. Kentucky
Kody Walker (Sr.), Arkansas
Warren Wand (So.), Arkansas State
Chris Warren III (So.), Texas
Mike Warren (So.), Iowa State
Tre Watson (Jr.), Cal
Ralph Webb (Jr.), Vanderbilt
David Williams (Jr.), South Carolina
Jamaal Williams (Sr.), BYU
Rawleigh Williams III (So.), Arkansas
Stanley Williams (Jr.), Kentucky
Nick Wilson (Jr.), Arizona
Shaun Wilson (Jr.), Duke
Marquis Young (So.), Massachusetts
Vann is one of four Mid-American Conference running backs named to the 76-man watchlist. The South Bend, Ind. native is looking for a breakout season in his first year as the primary running back for EMU.
In 2015, Vann appeared in all 12 games for EMU, starting four contests. He finished the season second on the team in rushing with 586 yards on 100 carries, as well as five scores. Vann was the Eagles' top receiving threat out of the backfield, totaling 37 receptions for 269 yards and one touchdown. For his efforts, he was named EMU's Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists on Nov. 16, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on Nov. 22. The committee will cast a second vote beginning Nov. 28 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members, and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2016 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards, Thursday, Dec. 8, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in early 2017.
The award, which will name its 27th recipient in 2016, 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.
Vann and the Eagles open the 2016 season under the lights at "The Factory" inside Rynearson Stadium Friday, Sept. 2, versus Mississippi Valley State. Both full season and flex package tickets are now available for purchase at EMUEagles.com/tickets, by calling 734.487.2282 or by visiting the EMU Ticket Office daily between 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
2016 Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidates
(in alphabetical order)
Josh Adams (So.), Notre Dame
Saquon Barkley (So.), Penn State
Jamauri Bogan (So.), W. Michigan
Joel Bouagnon (Sr.), Northern Illinois
Matt Breida (Sr.), Georgia Southern
Shannon Brooks (So.), Minnesota
Algernon Brown (Sr.), BYU
James Butler (Jr.), Nevada
Nick Chubb (Jr.), Georgia
Jordan Chunn (Jr.), Troy
Corey Clement (Sr.), Wisconsin
James Conner (Jr.), Pittsburgh
Dalvin Cook (Jr.), Florida State
Marcus Cox (Sr.), Appalachian State
LeShun Daniels, Jr. (Sr.), Iowa
Justin Davis (Sr.), USC
Matthew Dayes (Sr.), NC State
Jela Duncan (Sr.), Duke
D'Andre Ferby (So.), W. Kentucky
Tarean Folston (Sr.), Notre Dame
D'Onta Foreman (Jr.), Texas
Leonard Fournette (Jr.), LSU
Jarvion Franklin (Jr.), W. Michigan
Royce Freeman (Jr.), Oregon
Wayne Gallman (Jr.), Clemson
Myles Gaskin (So.), Washington
Damien Harris (So.), Alabama
Paul Harris (Sr.), Hawaii
Kyle Hicks (Jr.), TCU
Brian Hill (Jr.), Wyoming
Dontrell Hilliard (Jr.), Tulane
Brandon Holloway (Sr.), Miss. State
Elijah Hood (Jr.), North Carolina
Jalen Hurd (Jr.), Tennessee
Johnny Jefferson (Jr.), Baylor
Aaron Jones (Jr.), UTEP
Charles Jones (Sr.), Kansas State
Markell Jones (So.), Purdue
Ronald Jones II (So.), USC
Alvin Kamara (Jr.), Tennessee
Ray Lawry (Jr.), Old Dominion
Phillip Lindsay (So.), Colorado
Shock Linwood (Sr.), Baylor
Marlon Mack (Jr.), South Florida
Devante Mays (Sr.), Utah State
Christian McCaffrey (Jr.), Stanford
Elijah McGuire (Sr.), UL-Lafayette
Sony Michel (Jr.), Georgia
Taquan Mizzell (Sr.), Virginia
Khalfani Muhammad (Sr.), Cal
Terrell Newby (Sr.), Nebraska
Arkeel Newsome (Jr.), Connecticut
Jacobi Owens (Sr.), Air Force
Samaje Perine (Jr.), Oklahoma
Donnel Pumphrey (Sr.), SDSU
Devine Redding (Jr.), Indiana
Larry Rose III (Jr.), New Mexico State
Bo Scarbrough (So.), Alabama
De'Veon Smith (Sr.), Michigan
Justin Stockton (Jr.), Texas Tech
Shaq Vann (So.), Eastern Michigan
Ke'Shawn Vaughn (So.), Illinois
Anthony Wales (Sr.), W. Kentucky
Kody Walker (Sr.), Arkansas
Warren Wand (So.), Arkansas State
Chris Warren III (So.), Texas
Mike Warren (So.), Iowa State
Tre Watson (Jr.), Cal
Ralph Webb (Jr.), Vanderbilt
David Williams (Jr.), South Carolina
Jamaal Williams (Sr.), BYU
Rawleigh Williams III (So.), Arkansas
Stanley Williams (Jr.), Kentucky
Nick Wilson (Jr.), Arizona
Shaun Wilson (Jr.), Duke
Marquis Young (So.), Massachusetts
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