CHATTANOOGA -- University of Delaware sophomore running back Omar Cuff (right) earned 21 votes and placed 15th overall in balloting for The Sports Network’s Walter Payton Award announced Thursday evening at the Division I-AA College Football Awards Banquet.
Cuff, who was among the nation’s top all-purpose runners this fall, earned one second place vote, three third place votes, three fourth place votes, and two fifth place votes from a panel of 113 of I-AA sports information directors and media members who cover I-AA football. The Walter Payton Award has been presented by The Sports Network for the last 19 seasons to the top offensive player in I-AA football.
Eastern Washington senior quarterback Erik Meyer was this year’s winner of the Walter Payton Award, earning 333 total votes, including 33 firs place votes, to edge Ne Hampshire sophomore quarterback Ricky Santos who had 328 votes, including 31 for first place.
In addition to the Walter Payton Award, also presented at the banquet was the Buck Buchanan Defensive Player of the Year Award to Cal Poly senior defensive lineman Chris Gocong and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award to New Hampshire’s Sean McDonnell.
Cuff, a 5-10, 185 lb. running back from Landover, MD (C.H. Flowers HS), enjoyed an outstanding season in 2005, leading the Atlantic 10 in all-purpose yardage (147.2 yards per game/10th in NCAA I-AA) and ranking second in scoring (9.8 points per game/4th in NCAA) and rushing (109.5 yards per game/20th). He earned first team All-Atlantic 10 honors and last week earned a spot on The Sports Network All-American third team.
He carried the ball 249 times for 1,205 yards and 14 touchdowns and also led the team in receiving with 41 receptions for 414 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for over 100 yards seven times, including a 236-yard performance vs. James Madison Oct. 22 that was the second highest single game total in UD history. He also set a school record with five touchdowns in a season-opening win over Lehigh. He became the first UD player since Bob Norris in 1985 to lead the team in rushing and receiving and his 1,205 yards rushing was the eighth highest single season total in school history.
In the remainder of the Payton Award voting, Brown running back Nick Hartigan was third with 205 points followed by 2002 Payton Award winner Bruce Eugene (197), a quarterback from Grambling. Texas State’s Barrick Nealy was fifth (100) followed by Richie Williams of Appalachian State (99), David Ball of New Hampshire (84), Joe Rubin of Portland State (70), Travis Lulay of Montana State (65), Laurent Robinson of Illinois State (43), Jermaine Austin of Georgia Southern (38), Joel Sambursky of Southern Illinois (38), Steve Silva of Holy Cross (36), Ingle Martin of Furman (30), Cuff (21), Lex Hilliard of Montana (4), Josh Johnson of San Diego (2), Eric Kimble of Eastern Washington (1), and Scott Phaydavong of Drake (1).
Gocong earned 359 points to capture the Buchanan Award, surpassing runner-up Brent Hawkins of Illinois State (266), Justin Durant of Hampton (171), and Reed Doughty of Northern Colorado (118).
McDonnell earned the Robinson Award with 295 points to outdistance Hampton’s Joe Taylor (259), David Bailiff of Texas State (192), Dave Clawson of Richmond (169), Phil Estes of Brown (114), and Jay Thomas of Nicholls State (101).
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