Nov. 17, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Junior running back Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) is among the 11 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award for the nation's top running back.
Three finalists for the award will be named Tuesday, November 21. The 2017 Doak Walker Award recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 7 on ESPN.
Penn State's lone Doak Walker Award winner was Larry Johnson in 2002. Ki-Jana Carter and Curtis Enis were finalists for the award in 1994 and 1997, respectively.
The Doak Walker Award was created in 1989 to recognize the nation's premier running back for his accomplishments on the field, achievement in the classroom and citizenship in the community. It is the only major collegiate football award that requires all candidates to be on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification. The award is presented annually by the SMU Athletic Forum.
Barkley is second in FBS in all-purpose yards per game with a 184.60 average. He scored at least one touchdown in 15 consecutive games from Oct., 29, 2016 until Oct. 28, 2017, which broke Curtis Enis' school record of 14-straight games with a score over the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Barkley is 34th in FBS in rushing yards per game (89.9) and 13th in scoring (9.6 ppg). He is one of 11 players in FBS this season with two or more kickoff return touchdowns, which ties the school record held by Chuck Peters (1940), Curt Warner (1980) and Derrick Williams (2008). Barkley's 30.2 kickoff return average is ninth in FBS.
Barkley is just the first player in Penn State history and fourth in Big Ten history to total 3,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a career. Barkley has claimed five Big Ten Player of the Week awards (three offense, two special teams) this season. He has nine conference honors (five offensive, two freshman, two special teams) in his career. Barkley's five career offensive weekly honors are tied for ninth in Big Ten history. Barkley is a four-time Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll selection this season.
The No. 10-ranked Nittany Lions host Nebraska Saturday at 4 p.m. on FS1 for Senior Day presented by the Penn State Alumni Association and the annual Penn State Stripe Out. The game can also be heard on GoPSUsports.com and the Penn State Sports Network (airtime 2:30 p.m.).
Tickets for the home finale of the 2017 Penn State football season presented by PSECU against Nebraska are available. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2018 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m. More than 9,000 new season tickets have been sold and the season ticket allotment for 2017 has been exhausted.