SFA Quarterback Moses Heads Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Stephen F. Austin quarterback Jeremy Moses headlines the initial watch list for the 2010 Walter Payton Award, The Sports Network announced Monday.
Moses was the 2009 Southland Conference Co-Player of te Year and is already SFA's all-time leader in completions, touchdown passes, passing yards and total offense. He is on pace to become the conference's all-time leader in all four of those categories. The senior from Baytown, Texas (Lee), has recorded 18 300-yard passing games, four 400-yard passing games and one 500-yard effort during his career.
Moses was the highest vote-getter among the returning players, finishing in seventh place in balloting last year. The other returning finalists are Northern Arizona senior quarterback Michael Herrick, who was ninth; Weber State senior quarterback Cameron Higgins, who was 10th; Montana senior running back Chase Reynolds, who was 13th; Delaware senior quarterback Pat Devlin, who was 17th; and Elon senior quarterback Scott Riddle, who was 23rd as a write-in candidate.
The Payton Award, sponsored by Fathead.com, is in its 24th season and will be presented to the FCS national player of the year on Thursday, Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas - the night before the Division I National Championship Game at Pizza Hut Park.
The award will change hands this season after Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards (a 2010 draft choice of the Carolina Panthers) became the first two-time Payton winner in 2008 and '09.
The 2010 Watch List includes three players from the defending FCS champion Villanova Wildcats: senior wide receiver/kickoff returner Matt Szczur; senior quarterback Chris Whitney; and senior offensive tackle Ben Ijalana. Szczur was a write-in candidate on the 2009 ballot and finished 21st in the voting.
The Watch List includes 11 quarterbacks. The other five are Prairie View A&M senior K.J. Black; Old Dominion sophomore Thomas DeMarco; South Carolina State senior Malcolm Long; Montana senior Andrew Selle; and Dayton senior Steve Valentino.
Other running backs are Samford senior Chris Evans, Eastern Washington junior Taiwan Jones, South Dakota State senior Kyle Minett, Appalachian State senior Devon Moore and William & Mary junior Jonathan Grimes. Southern Utah senior wide receiver Tysson Poots joins the Watch List as well.
Among the returning players to the Watch List, Moses is coming off a junior season in which he led the FCS in completions per game (29.6), touchdown passes (40) and total passing yards (4,124). Herrick threw for 3,356 yards, including 574 against Eastern Washington. Higgins, also a finalist in 2008, when he finished sixth, has thrown for 9,762 yards and 83 touchdowns during his career. Reynolds helped Montana reach the FCS championship game in each of the past two seasons, rushing for a combined 3,085 yards and 44 touchdowns. Devlin is part of a long line of outstanding quarterbacks at Delaware, and threw for 2,664 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.
The Payton Award Watch List can undergo revision during the 2010 season, when updated lists are announced on Oct. 4 and 25. Ballots will be sent to a panel of approximately 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 22. Three finalists will be announced on Dec. 1 and invited to The Sports Network/Fathead FCS Awards Presentation the night before the national championship game.
The Sports Network also presents the Buck Buchanan and Eddie Robinson awards which also are sponsored by Fathead. The Buchanan Award honors the FCS defensive player of the year and the Robinson Award honors the FCS coach of the year. Those two winners will join the Payton finalists at the national awards banquet.