The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas' Benson named Doak Walker Award finalist
11.23.2004 | Football
DALLAS -- Texas senior running back Cedric Benson (Midland, Texas/Lee HS) has been named as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award (nation's top RB), the SMU Athletic Forum announced on Tuesday. Benson, who is Texas' second Doak Walker Award finalist, joining the awards only two-time winner Ricky Williams (1997-98), is coupled with California senior J.J. Arrington and Oklahoma freshman Adrian Peterson as the three finalists for the 2004 Doak Walker Award.
The recipient of the 2004 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN's The Home Depot College Football Awards show at 6 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, December 9. The award will be presented at the 2004 Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet in Dallas on Thursday, February 15, 2005.
Benson, also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and picked as one of 10 players to watch for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, has rushed for 1,599 yards (No. 4 on the UT single-season list) and 18 touchdowns (T-No. 4 on the UT single-season list) this season. His 159.9 rushing yards per game rank second nationally while his 11.4 points per game rank fourth and his 176.5 all-purpose yards per game stand fifth. Benson ranks sixth on the NCAA Division all-time rushing list (5,305 yards) and is tied for fourth in NCAA history with 63 rushing TDs. He is only the fifth player in NCAA history, and the first in UT history, to rush for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons. Benson has registered at least one TD in an NCAA record 36 career games.
Texas' previous Doak Walker Award winner has been impressed with Benson's performance this season, especially when you consider the pressure he is under facing eight and nine-man fronts on a regular basis.
"I spoke with Coach Brown earlier this season and we talked about the 'good ole' days', and how things were when I was there," Williams said. "He said he remembered how we won by putting the game on my shoulders. They decided to try it again. They are in essence using Cedric the same way they used me and he's doing great things. A whole lot more is being asked of him this year than the previous three and not only has he stepped-up to the challenge and done what Coach Brown has asked of him, but he has exceeded it."
Arrington leads the Pac-10 and ranks third in the country with 158.4 rushing yards per game. He has run for at least 100 yards in a school-record 10 consecutive games this season. Arrington has broken the California single-season rushing record, and has scored 14 touchdowns.
Peterson set a NCAA Division record by rushing for over 100 yards in the first nine games of his career and has rushed for 1,671 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has tied the NCAA record for 100-yard rushing games by a freshman with 10.
In addition to skills on the field, candidates for the Doak Walker Award must have demonstrated records of leadership and exhibited the characteristics of sportsmanship and fair play associated with Doak Walker.
Benson embodies those characteristics, having earned a spot on the Athletic Director's honor roll and the Big 12 Commissioner's list during the 2003 football season and regularly serving as a mentor at local elementary and middle schools as part of UT's Longhorn Leaders program. He also will likely be selected as one of the Longhorns permanent team captains after the season.
"Cedric has been a terrific player for us this season, but more importantly he has really stepped up as a tremendous leader on this football team," said Longhorn Head Coach Mack Brown. "He's a great representative of our football program and we are extremely proud of everything he has accomplished."
For the first time this year, freshmen were considered eligible for the award. "The competition for this year's Award was incredible, and the Selection Committee did a tremendous job of narrowing the field to these three very deserving finalists," said Chris Rentzel, chair of SMU's Athletic Forum Board of Directors. "I am sure that Doak Walker would be proud to have any of these outstanding running backs win the Award."
John David Crow, former Texas A&M star running back, was named the recipient of the 2004 PricewaterhouseCoopers Doak Walker Legends Awards, which was created to honor former running backs who excelled at the collegiate level and also distinguished themselves as leaders in their community. Crow also will be honored at the banquet.
2004 DOAK WALKER AWARD FINALISTS:
J.J. Arrington (Sr.) California
Cedric Benson (SR.) TEXAS
Adrian Peterson (Fr.) Oklahoma
