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Delaware’s Andy Hall named Walter Payton Award finalist 11:18 a.m., Dec. 4, 2003--University of Delaware senior quarterback Andy Hall, the 2003 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year, is one of three finalists for the prestigious Walter Payton Award presented to the top offensive player in NCAA Division I-AA, it was announced Monday by The Sports Network. Hall will join Colgate University junior running back Jamaal Branch and Grambling State University junior quarterback Bruce Eugene at the 17th annual NCAA Division I-AA College Football Awards ceremony, to be held Thursday, Dec. 18, in Chattanooga, Tenn., on the eve of the national championship game. The winners of the Buck Buchanan and Eddie Robinson Awards, presented to the top defensive player and coach of the year, respectively, also will be announced on Dec. 18. UD defensive end Shawn Johnson is a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, and Head Coach K.C. Keeler is a candidate for the Eddie Robinson Award. A native of Cheraw, S.C., Hall has passed for 2,386 yards this season, with 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He has completed a UD single-season record 205 of his 321 pass attempts, while his 63.9 completion percentage ranks second in the Atlantic 10 Football Conference. Hall is one of two players in conference history to pass for more than 2,300 yards and rush for more than 600 yards in a season. Mike Granieri of the University of New Hampshire also accomplished that feat. Hall has rushed for eight touchdowns, good for second on a Fightin’ Blue Hens team that claimed a share of the conference title for the first time since 2000 and enters Saturday's NCAA Division I-AA quarterfinal contest against Northern Iowa University with a 12-1 overall record. The Blue Hens tied an Atlantic 10 record for conference wins in a season (eight) and posted a 21-17 nonconference victory over the bowl-bound U.S. Naval Academy, an NCAA Division I-A team. Hall is vying to become the fourth player and first quarterback in Atlantic 10 history to win the Walter Payton Award. Former Villanova University standouts Brian Finneran and Brian Westbrook were presented with the Walter Payton Award in 1997 and 2001, respectively, while former New Hampshire running back Jerry Azumah received the honor in 1998. Finneran is a starting wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, while Westbrook and Azumah have enjoyed standout seasons in 2003 for the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears, respectively. The Atlantic 10 has now had a player finish in the top three of the voting for the prestigious award in each of the last four seasons. Last season, then-senior quarterback Brett Gordon of Villanova finished runner-up in the voting to Eastern Illinois University quarterback Tony Romo in the closest ever vote in the history of the award. In 2001, Westbrook edged Hofstra University quarterback Rocky Butler in the voting, while Westbrook finished third in 2001. To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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