Clement a candidate for Doak Walker Award
July 16, 2015 | Football
July 16, 2015
MADISON, Wis. -- As Corey Clement looks to carry the torch for Wisconsin's running game in 2015, he'll also seek to carry on the Badgers' tradition of taking home the Doak Walker Award.
Clement was named Thursday to the preseason watch list for the honor, which is presented annually to the nation's top running back. He doesn't have to look far for an example of what it takes to win, either. Former UW teammate Melvin Gordon claimed the Doak Walker Award last season while rushing for 2,587 yards and scoring 32 total touchdowns.
Wisconsin is the only school to produce three different Doak Walker winners: Ron Dayne (1999), Montee Ball (2012) and Gordon (2014).
Clement, who also has been named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, rushed for 949 yards and scored 11 total touchdowns last season. He combined with Gordon to set the single-season FBS record for rushing yards by teammates at 3,536 yards, breaking the record of 3,053 set by Gordon and James White just a year earlier.
Despite playing the role of backup to Gordon and White, he has covered 1,496 yards in his first two seasons at UW, averaging 7.0 yards per carry.
Clement is one of eight Big Ten backs named to the Doak Walker watch list, joining Josh Ferguson (Illinois), Jordan Howard (Indiana), Jordan Canzeri (Iowa), Justin Jackson (Northwestern), Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State), Akeel Lynch (Penn State) and Paul James (Rutgers).
In all, 69 players were named to the watch list.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists for the award on Nov. 18, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on Nov. 24. 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 2015 Doak Walker Award will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 10, live on ESPN. The award, which will name its 26th recipient in 2015, is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker.
2015 Preseason Watch Lists
• Vince Biegel (OLB): Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski
• Michael Caputo (S): Bednarik, Nagurski, Thorpe
• Corey Clement (RB): Maxwell, Walker
• Alex Erickson (WR): Biletnikoff
• Rafael Gaglianone (K): Groza
• Dan Voltz (C): Outland, Rimington
