Abdullah Headlines Doak Walker Award List

Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah has been named as one of the preseason candidates for the 2014 Doak Walker Award Thursday morning. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.

The 5-9, 195-pound Abdullah rushed for 1,690 yards in 2013, the most of any player returning for 2014. Abdullah owns 2,977 career rushing yards to rank third among active returning players in career rushing yards, and he leads all active players with 4,914 career all-purpose yards.

In addition to earning first-team All-Big Ten honors last season, Abdullah was one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award. He is one of three 2013 Doak Walker semifinalists who are among the 2014 preseason candidates, joining South Carolina’s Mike Davis and Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin. Abdullah is one of eight Big Ten running backs on the watch list.

The semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award will be named on Nov. 18, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will narrow the list to three finalists by Nov. 24. The recipient of the 2014 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 11, on the ESPN College Football Awards show.

The announcement of preseason watch lists wraps up on Friday when the preseason list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year is announced.