From the Louisville Sports Commission...
Louisville, Ky. - July 25, 2019 - The Louisville Sports Commission today named 44 multi-talented college football players to the 2019 Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse.
The Paul Hornung Award, now in its tenth season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville on March 4, 2020.
The 2019 Watch List is comprised of 13 seniors, 27 juniors and four sophomores who play a total of eight different positions. These players represent 44 universities in 27 states coast-to-coast across the 10 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), as well as one independent school. The Big 10 and Pac-12 lead the conferences with eight players, followed by the AAC and SEC with five players each.
Players on this year's Watch List accounted for 15,343 rushing yards, 18,538 receiving yards, 14,401 kickoff return yards, 2,897 punt return yards and 323 total tackles in 2018. Reminiscent of Hornung during his playing days, members of the Watch List demonstrated a knack for scoring numerous ways. Last season the Watch List players combined for 316 total touchdowns in six different ways - rushing; receiving; passing; and returning punts, kickoffs and interceptions.
The Paul Hornung Award has an impressive legacy. Rondale Moore, the 2018 Paul Hornung Award winner, was named a consensus All-American and Big Ten Receiver of the Year as a true freshman. Two of the five 2018 finalists currently are on NFL rosters, and the other three finalists are on the 2018 Watch List. Six of the eight Hornung Award winners prior to Moore were first round draft picks and currently are playing in the NFL.
"This award, which was created in my name, has earned a special place in college football," said Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner who played every position in the offensive backfield during his Notre Dame career and was a triple threat halfback and placekicker for the title town Green Bay Packers of the early 1960s. "I'm pleased that we are able to acknowledge outstanding players who contribute any way possible to help their teams win, the same way I did."
Hornung, who maintains an office in downtown Louisville, earned NFL MVP honors for the Packers in 1961 by setting a single-season NFL scoring record that stood 46 years. He is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called him, "The most versatile man ever to play the game."
The 2019 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2018 statistics, career performance, SID recommendations, and expectations heading into the 2019 season. Information about the Award can be found at www.paulhornungaward.com. Players will be added to the Watch List during the 2019 regular season based on performance.
2019 Watch List Selections
Salvon Ahmed, Washington
LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
Raheem Blackshear, Rutgers
Lynn Bowden, Jr., Kentucky
Britain Covey, Utah
Ashtyn Davis, Cal
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU
Darryton Evans, App State
Maurice Ffrench, Pittsburgh
KJ Hamler, Penn State
Travell Harris, Washington State
Connor Heyward, Michigan State
Darnay Holmes, UCLA
Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
Jason Huntley, New Mexico State
Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn
Wesley Kennedy, III, Georgia Southern
Adrian Killins, Jr. UCF
Javon Leake, Maryland
John Lovett, Baylor
Kirk Merritt, Arkansas State
Tra Minter, South Alabama
Rondale Moore, Purdue
Dazz Newsome, North Carolina
Jamal Parker, Kent State
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan
James Proche, SMU
Jalen Reagor, TCU
Joe Reed, Virginia
Sean Riley, Syracuse
Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
Laviska Shenault, Jr., Colorado
Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Iowa
JD Spielman, Nebraska
Marquez Stevenson, Houston
Keylon Stokes, Tulsa
Kadarius Toney, Florida
DeAndre Torrey, North Texas
AJ Turner, South Carolina
Tyler Vaughns, USC
Juwan Washington, San Diego State
Avery Williams, Boise State
Isaiah Wright, Temple
The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son, and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players who often go unnoticed. Each week during the season, a panel of college football experts selects players for the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll based on performance. A national selection committee comprised of 17 sports journalists and former NFL stars votes for the Hornung Award finalists and the winner, with fan voting powered by Texas Roadhouse comprising the 18th vote.
Louisville, Ky. - July 25, 2019 - The Louisville Sports Commission today named 44 multi-talented college football players to the 2019 Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse.
The Paul Hornung Award, now in its tenth season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville on March 4, 2020.
The 2019 Watch List is comprised of 13 seniors, 27 juniors and four sophomores who play a total of eight different positions. These players represent 44 universities in 27 states coast-to-coast across the 10 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), as well as one independent school. The Big 10 and Pac-12 lead the conferences with eight players, followed by the AAC and SEC with five players each.
Players on this year's Watch List accounted for 15,343 rushing yards, 18,538 receiving yards, 14,401 kickoff return yards, 2,897 punt return yards and 323 total tackles in 2018. Reminiscent of Hornung during his playing days, members of the Watch List demonstrated a knack for scoring numerous ways. Last season the Watch List players combined for 316 total touchdowns in six different ways - rushing; receiving; passing; and returning punts, kickoffs and interceptions.
The Paul Hornung Award has an impressive legacy. Rondale Moore, the 2018 Paul Hornung Award winner, was named a consensus All-American and Big Ten Receiver of the Year as a true freshman. Two of the five 2018 finalists currently are on NFL rosters, and the other three finalists are on the 2018 Watch List. Six of the eight Hornung Award winners prior to Moore were first round draft picks and currently are playing in the NFL.
"This award, which was created in my name, has earned a special place in college football," said Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner who played every position in the offensive backfield during his Notre Dame career and was a triple threat halfback and placekicker for the title town Green Bay Packers of the early 1960s. "I'm pleased that we are able to acknowledge outstanding players who contribute any way possible to help their teams win, the same way I did."
Hornung, who maintains an office in downtown Louisville, earned NFL MVP honors for the Packers in 1961 by setting a single-season NFL scoring record that stood 46 years. He is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called him, "The most versatile man ever to play the game."
The 2019 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2018 statistics, career performance, SID recommendations, and expectations heading into the 2019 season. Information about the Award can be found at www.paulhornungaward.com. Players will be added to the Watch List during the 2019 regular season based on performance.
2019 Watch List Selections
Salvon Ahmed, Washington
LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
Raheem Blackshear, Rutgers
Lynn Bowden, Jr., Kentucky
Britain Covey, Utah
Ashtyn Davis, Cal
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU
Darryton Evans, App State
Maurice Ffrench, Pittsburgh
KJ Hamler, Penn State
Travell Harris, Washington State
Connor Heyward, Michigan State
Darnay Holmes, UCLA
Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
Jason Huntley, New Mexico State
Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn
Wesley Kennedy, III, Georgia Southern
Adrian Killins, Jr. UCF
Javon Leake, Maryland
John Lovett, Baylor
Kirk Merritt, Arkansas State
Tra Minter, South Alabama
Rondale Moore, Purdue
Dazz Newsome, North Carolina
Jamal Parker, Kent State
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan
James Proche, SMU
Jalen Reagor, TCU
Joe Reed, Virginia
Sean Riley, Syracuse
Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
Laviska Shenault, Jr., Colorado
Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Iowa
JD Spielman, Nebraska
Marquez Stevenson, Houston
Keylon Stokes, Tulsa
Kadarius Toney, Florida
DeAndre Torrey, North Texas
AJ Turner, South Carolina
Tyler Vaughns, USC
Juwan Washington, San Diego State
Avery Williams, Boise State
Isaiah Wright, Temple
The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son, and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players who often go unnoticed. Each week during the season, a panel of college football experts selects players for the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll based on performance. A national selection committee comprised of 17 sports journalists and former NFL stars votes for the Hornung Award finalists and the winner, with fan voting powered by Texas Roadhouse comprising the 18th vote.
