McCombs Preseason Candidate for Doak Walker Award

University of Connecticut junior running back Lyle McCombs (Staten Island, N.Y.) was named a preseason candidate list for the 2013 Doak Walker Award, which is given to the nation’s top college running back each year by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.

McCombs has led UConn in rushing the past two seasons with 1,151 in 2011 and was named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and a Second Team All-BIG EAST pick. He was the second-leading freshman rusher in the country in ’11. Last year, he led the Huskies with 860 yards on 243 carries.

He enters 2013 sixth in career carries at UConn with 518 and fifth in net yards per game at 87.4. McCombs also has two of the top six single-season marks in rushing carries. McCombs has nine 100-yard rushing games over the past two seasons.

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name the semifinalists on November 14 and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, who will be announced on November 25. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on December 2 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.

The recipient of the 2013 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas, Texas, in February 2014. The award, in its 24nd 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.

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