The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Robinson wins 2022 Doak Walker Award
12.08.2022 | Football, Longhorn Foundation
Junior running back Bijan Robinson is the fourth Longhorn to win the award honoring the nation’s top college running back.
DALLAS – Texas junior running back Bijan Robinson was honored as the winner of the 2022 Doak Walker Award, the PxC SMU Athletic Forum announced on Thursday during The Home Depot College Football Awards.
Robinson joins a prestigious trio of Longhorns who have won the Doak Walker Award, which has been given annually to the nation's premier running back dating back to 1990. Ricky Williams was a two-time winner, bringing home the trophy in 1997 and 1998, while Cedric Benson collected it in 2004, and D'Onta Foreman won the honor in 2016. Texas' five Doak Walker Award trophies match the most by an FBS school all time (Wisconsin).
"Longhorn Nation, I appreciate all of you that have been with me since day one," Robinson said. "God's put us through a journey and now we're here winning the Doak Walker Award. It's awesome to be a part of the great guys that have won this award before me – Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, D'Onta Foreman. I appreciate you guys and I'm always going to be a product of y'all. Thank you to my teammates, the Doak Walker family, Coach Sark, Coach Choice, all the coaches, Derek (Ochoa) and all the guys behind the camera, just everybody. I appreciate all the fans and everybody that has shown love this whole time. Thank you so much and Hook 'Em."
Robinson, who leads the nation in tandem yards with 1,894 (1,580 rushing, 314 receiving) and is second in total touchdowns (20), is averaging a Big 12-best 131.7 rushing yards and 157.83 all-purpose yards per game.
The Tucson, Ariz. native has nine 100-yard rushing games in the last 10 outings, including a pair of 200-yard efforts, and has rushed for a touchdown in 10 of 12 games this year with multiple rushing touchdowns on five occasions. Robinson has tallied 100 yards from scrimmage 11 times and notched 200-plus yards on three occasions. He has 18 plays (11 rushes, 7 receptions) of 20-plus yards this season, including touchdown runs of 78, 42, 41, 40, 36 and 31 yards.
He ranks fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns (18), fifth in rushing yards (1,580), all-purpose yards (157.83 ypg) and points scored (120), and sixth in rushing yards per game (131.7), while leading the Big 12 in each category. His 1,580 rushing yards on the year are the seventh-most in a season in program history, while his 18 rushing touchdowns and nine 100-yard rushing games are the fifth-most.
For his career, Robinson is among an elite group of Longhorn rushers, ranking fourth on Texas' all-time rushing list with 3,410 yards. He trails only Williams (6,279), Benson (5,540) and Longhorn Legend Earl Campbell (4,443). Robinson is also fourth in UT history in total touchdowns with 41 (33 rushing, 8 receiving) and tandem yards (4,215), eighth in rushing touchdowns (33) and all-purpose yards (4,231), and ninth in points scored (246).
Robinson has rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, the first Texas running back to accomplish the feat since Benson in 2003-04 – Vince Young did it in 2004-05 at quarterback. He is the seventh Longhorn with consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns, joining Benson, Williams, Young, Chris Gilbert, Roosevelt Leaks and Hodges Mitchell, and the first to rush for 1,500 yards and record 300 receiving yards in the same season.
The Award is named after three-time SMU All-America running back and 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker. Walker, who also punted, returned kicks and kicked extra points, led the Mustangs to two Southwest Conference Championships. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions and led the league in scoring his rookie year. During his six years with the Lions, he led the team to two NFL championships and was chosen All-Pro four times. Walker is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
