July 15, 2011
DALLAS - San Diego State sophomore running back Ronnie Hillman has been named a candidate for the 2011 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top college running back, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Friday.
The La Habra, Calif., native is one of 51 running backs on the national list and one of six from the Mountain West eligible for the award. Hillman rushed for 1,532 yards and 17 touchdowns a year ago en route to earning freshman All-America and conference freshman-of-the-year honors. The 5-10 running back ran for more than 150 yards six times in 2010, including a career high of 228 yards at No. 25 Missouri and vs. Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. Hillman led the Mountain West in rushing and ranked first among all freshmen (10th overall) nationally in that category.
Hillman is the first Aztec to be named a candidate since Lynell Hamilton in both 2004 and 2005. Larry Ned was voted a semifinalist for the award in 2001 after rushing for 1,549 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns during his senior year.
The recipient of the 2011 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN along with other National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) member awards on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 8.
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.
The 2011 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List was also announced today, with senior quarterback Ryan Lindley being tabbed as a nominee. San Diego State is one of 19 schools in the country to have a quarterback and running back nominated for both the Davey O'Brien and Doak Walker awards.