Former Huskers Ameer Abdullah, Mike Moudy, Mark Pelini and Trevor Roach each earned a spot on the NFF Hampshire Honor Society when the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the members on Wednesday.
The society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career. A total of 817 players from 278 schools qualified for membership in the society’s ninth year, setting a new record for the number of schools represented in the history of the program, which began in 2007.
Abdullah finished his collegiate career in 2014 by putting together his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and completed his career with 4,588 yards on the ground, second-best in school history. A finalist for the Doak Walker Award, he ran for 1,611 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior en route to second-team All-America honors from several publications.
Moudy started all 13 games on the offensive line and helped the Huskers rank among the top 20 nationally in rushing offense and scoring offense. Pelini also saw action on the offensive line, as he started the first 11 games of the 2014 campaign before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in November.
Roach helped lead the Blackshirt defense with 63 tackles in 2014, which included 32 solo stops. The linebacker started the final six games of the season and played every regular-season game before sitting out the Holiday Bowl with an injury.
Moudy, Pelini and Roach are each three-time Academic All-Big Ten team members.
Ameer Abdullah in the Senior Bowl (AP Photo by Brynn Anderson)
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah rushed for 73 yards and added 40 receiving while leading the North to a 34-13 victory over the South on Saturday in the Senior Bowl.
The Cornhuskers’ No. 2 career rusher won MVP honors, and the running backs and defenses came up with the some of the biggest plays in a game that showcases senior NFL prospects.
Texas cornerback Quandre Diggs and Miami-Ohio’s Quinten Rollins had third-quarter interceptions for the North.
Abdullah, an Alabama native, made the most of his 11 touches. Minnesota running back David Cobb gained 69 yards on 11 carries, including a 4-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.
The top passers were Baylor’s Bryce Petty of the North and Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson on the South. Petty was 9 of 13 for 123 yards with an interception. Grayson completed 8 of 15 passes for 118 yards.
Senior I-back Ameer Abdullah led the way in team awards announced on Thursday. Abdullah was named the overall Team Most Valuable Player for the second straight year, and also earned Offensive MVP honors. Abdullah was also selected as the winner of the Guy Chamberlin Trophy. The award dates back to 1967 and is voted on by members of the media, and honors a senior player who has the qualities and dedication of the great Cornhusker tradition.
One of five team captains, Abdullah became Nebraska’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards this season and ranks No. 2 on the career rushing list.
A pair of Husker sophomores shared Defensive MVP honors for the 2014 season. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins recorded 12 tackles for loss on the year, along with 3.5 sacks. Safety Nate Gerry was the second-leading tackler for the Huskers and also ranked among the Big Ten leaders with five interceptions, all in league play.
Freshman standout De’Mornay Pierson-El earned the Huskers’ Special Teams MVP award. Pierson-El was an electrifying punt returner, scoring three touchdowns on returns while averaging 17.8 yards per return to rank third in the nation.
Senior linebacker Trevor Roach was honored as the winner of a pair of awards. Roach received the Tom Novak Trophy. The oldest of Nebraska’s senior awards, the Novak Trophy dates back to 1950. Roach also was named the winner of the Pat Clare Award.
Senior offensive guard Jake Cotton, a Lincoln Southeast graduate and second-generation Husker, was presented the Cletus Fischer Native Son Award, given annually to a senior who is a Nebraska native. The award is named in honor of long-time Nebraska offensive line coach Cletus Fischer.
The Chamberlin, Native Son and Novak awards will also be honored at the Outland Trophy Award ceremony in Omaha on Jan. 15.
Junior defensive end Jack Gangwish received the prestigious Lifter of the Year Award, while redshirt freshman Josh Faulkenberry was awarded the Huskers’ 2014 Walk-on MVP Award. The Scout Team Offensive MVP Award was shared by guard Jerald Foster and running back Mikale Wilbon, while the Scout Team Defensive MVP was shared by Erik Evans and Zach Stovall.
Senior center Mike Moudy was the recipient of the Character Award, Kenny Bell was the winner of the Perimeter Award and center Mark Pelini received the Husker Heart Award.
Lincoln – Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah and junior defensive end Randy Gregory were each named Associated Press All-Americans on Tuesday, as Abdullah was a second-team pick and Gregory was a third-team selection.
The honor was Abdullah’s fourth over the last week, after also being named a second-team running back honoree by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports.com and Scout.com.
Gregory was tabbed as a third-team All-American after earning first-team All-Big Ten honors each of the past two seasons. An impressive feat considering Gregory missed nearly four games in 2014.
A senior from Homewood, Ala., Abdullah rushed for 1,523 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2014, including four 200-yard rushing games. Abdullah also became Nebraska’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, while ranking second on the school’s career rushing yardage list.
Abdullah was one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, and has also received All-Big Ten honors for the past three seasons. Abdullah was a third-team AP All-American in 2013.
One of the most feared pass rushers in the Big Ten, Gregory had 50 total tackles, including seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, while adding a team-high 16 quarterback hurries. He also blocked two field goals, broke up three passes and had an interception. Gregory is the first two-time all-conference honoree on the defensive line at Nebraska since Ndamukong Suh in 2008 and 2009.
NEW HAVEN, CT – Player of the Year Marcus Mariota, quarterback from second-ranked Oregon, headlines the 2014 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team, the 125th honored by the organization. The nation’s oldest All-America squad was announced this evening on The Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show.
Third-ranked Florida State had three players selected to the First Team, while top-ranked Alabama, Oregon and Utah all had two honorees. In all, 20 different schools from six conferences were represented on the All-America First Team. The Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac 12, and Southeastern Conference each had six selections.
The Walter Camp All-America teams are selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 125 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and certified by Marcum LLP, a New Haven-based accounting firm. Walter Camp Football Foundation President James Monico was pleased with the voting participation.
“Once again, we had more than 80 percent of the FBS schools participate in this year’s voting,” Monico said. “We are very appreciative of the continuing cooperation of the coaches and sports information directors in our annual effort to honor the nation’s most outstanding college players.”
Leading the offensive unit is Mariota, the 2014 Walter Camp Player of the Year. The nation’s leader in pass efficiency (186.3), Mariota has thrown for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns for the nation’s third-ranked scoring offense (46.3 points per game).
The nation’s top two rushers – both juniors and from the Big 10 Conference – are on the First Team. Junior Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) has rushed for 2,336 yards and 179.7 yards per game, while Tevin Coleman (Indiana) has totaled 2,036 yards on the ground.
Junior Amari Cooper (Alabama) and sophomore Rashard Higgins (Colorado State) are the wide receivers. Cooper has 105 catches for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Higgins has 89 catches for 1,640 yards and 17 touchdowns. The tight end is Nick O’Leary (Florida State).
On the offensive line, four seniors were selected: Brandon Scherff (Iowa), Tre’ Jackson (Florida State), Cedric Ogbuehi (Texas A&M) and Laken Tomlinson (Duke). Senior Reese Dismukes (Auburn) is the offensive center.
Placekicker Roberto Aguayo (Florida State) is a repeat First Team honoree. Aguayo has converted 25-of-27 field goals and all 53 of his point-after-kicks this season for the Seminoles.
Leading the defensive unit is sophomore linebacker Scooby Wright III (Arizona). Wright III has totaled 158 tackles (89 solo) for the Wildcats and leads the nation with 28 tackles for loss. Joining Wright in the middle is Hau’oli Kikaha (Washington) and Paul Dawson (TCU). Kikaha leads the nation with 18 sacks.
Repeat First Team All-American Vic Beasley (Clemson) is joined by senior Nate Orchard (Utah), junior Shane Ray (Missouri) and sophomore Joey Bosa (Ohio State). Orchard is second in the nation with 17.5 sacks.
Sophomore Gerod Holliman (Louisville), who leads the nation with 14 interceptions, anchors the defensive secondary. He is joined by seniors Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Oregon), Senquez Golson (Ole Miss) and junior Landon Collins (Alabama). Ekpre-Olomu was a Second Team Walter Camp All-American in 2013.
The punter is junior Tom Hackett (Utah), who averages 47.0 yards-per-punt. The kick returner is senior Jamarcus Nelson (UAB), who has four kickoff returns for touchdowns this season.
The 2014 Walter Camp Player of the Year and members of the All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet, presented by First Niagara Bank, on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
In addition, the Foundation will recognize three individuals – broadcasting legend Verne Lundquist (Distinguished American), former Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Steeler standout running back Jerome Bettis (Man of the Year) and former Air Force All-American and Dallas Cowboy Chad Hennings (Alumnus of the Year) – with major awards.
The Foundation is offering a “Holiday Ticket Promotion” for the National Awards Dinner. Buy two tickets for $450 (you save $150) before December 31. Please call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267) for more information.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Visit http://waltercamp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b810683e15b74e3bcc163850e&id=975908061c&e=e3759d36e4.
Walter Camp 2014 All-America Notebook
A Little History This is the 125th edition of the Walter Camp All-America team – the nation’s oldest All-America team. Twenty-six players have been selected to the first team by the 125 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. In addition, 25 players have been selected to the Second Team.
• From 1889 to 1964, eleven players were selected. • In 1965, both offensive and defensive teams were picked. • In 1972, the first punter (Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi) was honored. • In 1975, the first placekicker (Chris Bahr, Penn State) was selected. • In 1998, the first-ever Second Team All-America team was recognized. • In 2001, the first kick returner (Herb Haygood, Michigan State) was picked.
Conference Info Twenty different schools representing six conferences have players on the 2014 Walter Camp All-America First Team. The Southeastern Conference (5 schools), Atlantic Coast Conference (4 schools) and Pac-12 (4 schools) each had six players on the First Team. The Big Ten Conference had four players from four member schools. Florida State had the most First Team honorees with three, while Alabama, Utah and Oregon each had two.
Then and Now Twenty different schools are represented on the 2014 Walter Camp All-America First Team – the 125th honored in the name of the former Yale University football coaching legend. Of those 20 schools, Wisconsin has the honor of being the first represented on a Walter Camp All-American squad – tackle Bob Butler was recognized in 1912.
Good to See You Again Two players – placekicker Robert Aguayo (Florida State) and defensive end Vic Beasley (Clemson) – are repeat First Team All-Americans.
Player of the Year Marcus Mariota The 48th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, Oregon junior quarterback Marcus Mariota is the first Duck to win the prestigious honor. Mariota is the 16th quarterback to earn the honor, and the eighth player from a Pac-12 school. Mariota and defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu were first team All-Americans – the first time Oregon has had two First Team selections.
Class Distinction Of the 25 First Team selections, 13 are seniors. There are seven juniors and five sophomores. On the Second Team, there are nine seniors, 10 juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen (both from the University of Florida – Dante Fowler, Jr. and Vernon Hargreaves III).
Streaking Texas A&M and Florida State have had at least one Walter Camp First Team All-American in each of the last five years. It is the longest current streak. The all-time record belongs to Notre Dame (18 straight years, 1964 to 1981). After not having an All-American from 1999-2009, Texas A&M has had eight First Teamers in the last five years.
Big Time Backs from Big Ten Two running backs from the Big Ten Conference – Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman – were selected as First Team All-Americans. It is the fourth time since 1965 (the first year there were offensive and defensive teams selected) that the backfield hailed from the same conference.
1996 – Big 8 (Troy Davis, Iowa State and Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech) 2004 – Big 12 (Cedric Benson, Texas and Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma) 2008 – Big 10 (Javon Ringer, Michigan State and Shonn Greene, Iowa)
Lockett’s Back Kansas State senior Tyler Lockett is a Second Team honoree at both wide receiver and kick returner. Lockett was a 2011 Walter Camp First Team All-American (kick returner). In addition, Lockett is the third player (all since 2009) to be a twice-honored Walter Camp All-American in the same year. Former Oregon star Cliff Harris was selected to the 2010 Second Team as a defensive back and kick returner. In 2009, former Clemson standout C.J. Spiller was also dually honored – Spiller was a First Team kick returner and Second Team running back.
The First Since… Several schools are represented on the First Team All-American squad in some time.
• UAB kick returner Jamarcus Nelson is the first Blazer to be honored. • Colorado State wide receiver Rashard Higgins is the first Ram to be honored since 1995 (defensive back Greg Myers). • Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman is the first Cardinal honored on the First Team since 2005 (defensive end Elvis Dumervill). • Duke offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson is the first Blue Devil First Teamer since 1989 (wide receiver Clarkston Hines). • Washington linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha is the first Husky to be honored since 1997 (offensive linemen Olin Kreutz and Benji Olson). • Indiana running back Tevin Coleman is the first Hoosier First Team honoree since 1989 (running back Vaughn Dunbar).
Players of the Week Each week during the regular-season, the Walter Camp Foundation recognizes a National Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week. Seven First and Second All-American members were recognized during the 2014 regular season. First Team All-Americans recognized included: Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III (Oct. 26 and Nov. 30), Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (Nov. 30), Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman (Nov. 9) and Oregon quarterback and Player of the Year Marcus Mariota (Sept. 7). Second Team honorees included: TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin (Oct. 26) and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks (Aug. 31).
First Team Offense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown WR Amari Cooper, Alabama 6-1 210 Jr. Miami, FL WR Rashard Higgins, Colorado State 6-2 188 Soph. Mesquite, TX TE Nick O’Leary, Florida State 6-3 247 Sr. Palm Beach, FL OL Brandon Scherff, Iowa 6-5 320 Sr. Denison, Iowa OL Tre’ Jackson, Florida State 6-4 330 Sr. Jesup, GA OL Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M 6-5 305 Sr. Allen, TX OL Laken Tomlinson, Duke 6-3 330 Sr. Chicago, IL C Reese Dismukes, Auburn 6-3 295 Sr. Spanish Fort, AL QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon 6-4 219 Jr. Honolulu, HI RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin 6-1 213 Jr. Kenosha, WI RB Tevin Coleman, Indiana 6-1 210 Jr. Tinley Park, IL PK Roberto Aguayo, Florida State * 6-1 213 Soph. Mascotte, FL
First Team Defense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown DL Nate Orchard, Utah 6-4 255 Sr. Salt Lake City, UT DL Shane Ray, Missouri 6-3 245 Jr. Kansas City, MO DL Vic Beasley, Clemson * 6-3 235 Sr. Adairsville, GA DL Joey Bosa, Ohio State 6-5 278 Soph. Fort Lauderdale, FL LB Scooby Wright III, Arizona 6-1 246 Soph. Windsor, CA LB Hau’oli Kikaha, Washington 6-3 246 Sr. Laie, HI LB Paul Dawson, TCU 6-2 230 Sr. Dallas, TX DB Gerod Holliman, Louisville 6-2 213 Soph. Miami, FL DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon @ 5-10 195 Sr. Chino Hills, CA DB Senquez Golson, Ole Miss 5-9 176 Sr. Pascagoula, MS DB Landon Collins, Alabama 6-0 222 Jr. New Orleans, LA P Tom Hackett, Utah 5-11 187 Jr. Melbourne, Australia KR Jamarcus Nelson, UAB 5-11 160 Sr. Midfield, AL
Second Team Offense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown WR Kevin White, West Virginia 6-3 210 Sr. Plainfield, NJ WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State # 5-11 175 Sr. Tulsa, OK TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota 6-4 250 Soph. Waconia, MN OL Andrus Peat, Stanford 6-7 316 Jr. Chandler, AZ OL Spencer Drango, Baylor 6-6 310 Jr. Cedar Park, TX OL A.J. Cann, South Carolina 6-4 311 Sr. Bamberg, SC OL Arie Kouandjio, Alabama 6-5 316 Sr. Hyattsville, MD C Hronus Grassu, Oregon 6-3 297 Sr. Los Angeles, CA QB Trevone Boykin, TCU 6-2 205 Jr. Dallas, TX RB James Conner, Pittsburgh 6-2 250 Soph. Erie, PA RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska 5-9 195 Sr. Homewood, AL PK Brad Craddock, Maryland 6-0 185 Jr. Adelaide, Australia
Second Team Defense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown DL Malcolm Brown, Texas 6-2 320 Jr. Brenham, TX DL Leonard Williams, USC 6-5 300 Jr. Daytona Beach, FL DL Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State @ 6-5 256 Jr. Middletown, NJ DL Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida 6-3 277 Fr. St. Petersburg, FL DL Danny Shelton, Washington 6-2 339 Sr. Auburn, WA LB Jordan Hicks, Texas 6-1 234 Sr. Cincinnati, OH LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA 6-0 230 Sr. Fresno, CA LB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State 6-5 249 Jr. Tunica, MS DB Jeremy Cash, Duke 6-2 205 Jr. Miami, FL DB Trae Waynes, Michigan State 6-1 182 Jr. Kenosha, WI DB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida 5-11 192 Fr. Tampa, FL DB Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech 6-0 190 Soph. Baltimore, MD P Austin Rehkow, Idaho * 6-3 215 Soph. Veradale, WA KR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State # 5-11 175 Sr. Tulsa, OK
Nebraska standouts Ameer Abdullah and De’Mornay Pierson-El each received All-America honors on Thursday for their outstanding 2014 performances.
Abdullah was named a second-team All-America running back by CBS Sports.com, while Pierson-El was honored by USA Today as the second-team All-America return specialist.
A senior from Homewood, Ala., Abdullah rushed for 1,523 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2014, including four 200-yard rushing games. Abdullah also became Nebraska’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, while ranking second on the school’s career rushing yardage list.
Abdullah is one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, which will be announced tonight. He has also received All-Big Ten honors for the past three seasons and was a third-team AP All-American in 2013.
Big Ten running backs Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) and Tevin Coleman (Indiana) were the first-team selections on the CBS Sports.com All-America team, while Abdullah was joined on the second team by James Connor of Pittsburgh.
De’Mornay Pierson-El
Pierson-El had a record-setting season as a punt returner in his first year in the Nebraska program. He led the nation in total punt return yards with 589 yards on 33 returns, an average of 17.8 yards per return. Pierson-El’s punt return yardage total is more than 200 yards higher than any other player in the nation and his average ranks third in the nation.
Pierson-El also returned three punts for a touchdown, including a pair of returns of 80 yards or more. The three punt return touchdowns ties for the national lead and is one off the Nebraska school season record.
Pierson-El was one of only two freshmen on the USA Today All-America first or second team squads, joining Alabama punter JK Scott, who was a first-team choice.
Additional All-America teams will be announced in the coming days.
Eleven Nebraska players were honored by the Big Ten Conference on Monday, being named to 2014 All-Big Ten Conference football teams.
Two Huskers earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades, with three others being chosen as second-team honorees, while six players were honorable-mention all-conference choices.
Junior defensive end Randy Gregory was a first-team All-Big Ten choice by both the conference coaches and the conference media. Gregory is among the Big Ten leaders with seven sacks despite missing the majority of four games this season.
The 6-6, 245-pound Gregory had 50 total tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, while adding a team-high 16 quarterback hurries. He also blocked two field goals, broke up three passes and had an interception. This marks the second straight season Gregory has been a first-team All-Big Ten pick, making him Nebraska’s first two-time all-conference honoree on the defensive line since Ndamukong Suh in 2008 and 2009.
Gregory is joined on the coaches’ first-team squad by senior wide receiver Kenny Bell. The 6-1, 185-pound Bell led Nebraska with 717 yards on 40 receptions and his 17.9 yards per catch ranked among the conference leaders. Bell also had a team-high five touchdowns receptions, including two touchdown catches in Nebraska’s overtime victory at Iowa in the regular-season finale.
Kenny Bell
Bell became Nebraska’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yardage earlier this season. Bell was an honorable-mention selection by the conference media. This is the third straight year Bell has been honored by the Big Ten. He was a second-team pick as a sophomore in 2012 and earned honorable-mention accolades in 2013.
Senior I-back Ameer Abdullah was a second-team All-Big Ten choice by both the coaches and the media. Abdullah ranks among the top 10 nationally in rushing yards, scoring and all-purpose yards. He finished the regular season with 1,523 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns. He also became Nebraska’s career leader in all-purpose yards, while ranking second in Big Ten history in that category.
The Doak Walker Award finalist was joined on the second team by Minnesota running back David Cobb, while fellow Doak Walker finalists Melvin Gordon and Tevin Coleman occupied the two first-team spots.
Like Bell, Abdullah was honored for the third straight year. Abdullah was a first-team choice on both teams in 2013, after being a second-team All-Big Ten pick by the coaches in 2012.
Abdullah was also honored as Nebraska’s Sportsmanship Award Honoree.
Joining Abdullah in earning second-team honors were a pair of sophomore defenders. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins was named to the second team on the coaches’ listing, while safety Nate Gerry was a second-team choice by the media.
Collins is tied for the team lead with 12 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks. The Kansas City native also ranks second on the team with 14 quarterback hurries and made 40 total tackles. Gerry led the Big Ten in interceptions in conference games with five picks in eight league games. He ranked second overall on the team with 85 tackles, including 47 solo stops and seven tackles for loss. Gerry also forced a pair of fumbles, had a fumble recovery and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown.
Six additional Huskers earned honorable-mention all-conference accolades. Players named to the coaches’ honorable-mention list include Gerry, senior linebacker Zaire Anderson, senior guard Jake Cotton, sophomore punter Sam Foltz, junior tackle Alex Lewis and senior cornerback Josh Mitchell.
The media honorable-mention list includes Anderson, Bell, Collins, Cotton, Lewis, Mitchell and senior safety Corey Cooper. Cooper was a repeat honorable-mention choice.
Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah has been named one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s top running back.
Abdullah is joined as finalists by fellow Big Ten running backs Tevin Coleman of Indiana and Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin. With the trio of Big Ten running backs being selected as finalists, it marks the first time in the 25-year history of the award that all three finalists are from the same conference. The finalists were determined by a vote of the Doak Walker National Selection Committee.
The recipient of the 2014 Doak Walker Award will be announced on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards from Orlando on Thursday, Dec. 11.
Abdullah is the third Nebraska running back to be named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, joining Calvin Jones (1993) and Ahman Green (1997).
A native of Homewood, Ala., Abdullah has rushed for 1,417 yards this season, including four 200-yard rushing games, despite being limited by a knee injury over the past three games. Abdullah ranks among the top 10 in the country in rushing yards per game, all-purpose yards per game and scoring.
Abdullah has set a Nebraska career record with 6,798 all-purpose yards, a total that ranks second in Big Ten history. Abdullah was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award as a junior in 2013.
In addition to being a Doak Walker Award finalist, Abdullah is a finalist for four other national awards, including the Senior CLASS Award, the Wuerffel Trophy, the Paul Hornung Award and the Pop Warner College Football Award.
Off the field, Abdullah is set to graduate in December, completing his degree work at Nebraska in 3 ½ years.
Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah was named a finalist for two national awards on Thursday morning. The record-setting running back was named as one of five finalists for the Paul Hornung Award and is one of four finalists for the Pop Warner College Football Award.
The Hornung Award is presented to the most versatile player in college football. Abdullah is joined on the list of finalists by TCU running back/returner B.J. Catalon, Missouri running back/returner Marcus Murphy, Stanford wide receiver/returner Ty Montgomery and Washington linebacker/running back Shaq Thompson.
Abduallah ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards per game, and is the only player in the FBS ranks to produce two games with more than 300 all-purpose yards in 2014. Abdullah is Nebraska’s all-time leader in all-purpose yardage and ranks second in Big Ten history in that category. Abdullah has also had four 200-yard rushing games this season.
The winner of the Hornung Award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 12, and the winner will be honored at a banquet in Louisville on Jan. 27, 2015.
The Pop Warner College Football Award honors a player who has contributed at a high level on the field, in the classroom and in his community, emulating the ideals of the Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc., the nation’s oldest youth football organization.
In addition to Abdullah, other finalists include Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, Stanford safety Jordan Richards and Florida center Max Garcia. The inaugural award was presented in 2010 to Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara. The Pop Warner College Football Award will be presented on Dec. 10 at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports during the Pop Warner Super Bowl.
Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2014 Doak Walker Award. The award is given annually to the nation’s top running back.
This marks the second straight season Abdullah has been a semifinalist for the award. The 5-9, 200-pound Abdullah has produced a standout senior campaign in 2014. He ranks among the top 10 nationally in all-purpose yards per game (3rd), rushing touchdowns (4th), scoring (7th) and rushing yards per game (9th).
Abdullah has rushed for better than 200 yards four times during the 2014 season, tying a Nebraska school record. He has also produced a pair of games with better than 300 all-purpose yards, making him the only player in the nation with two games of 300-plus all-purpose yards. In the process, Abdullah has set a Nebraska school record for career all-purpose yards (6,700), while ranking second in Big Ten history in career all-purpose yardage.
Abdullah has 1,319 rushing yards this season and 4,296 career rushing yards, and remains in pursuit of Mike Rozier’s school record of 4,780 career rushing yards.
Abdullah is one of three Big Ten running backs on the semifinalist list, joining Tevin Coleman of Indiana and Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin. Abdullah is one of two seniors among the 10 semifinalists.
The Doak Walker Award is named after three-time SMU All-America running back and 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.
The list of semifinalists will be trimmed to three finalists next Tuesday. The 2014 Doak Walker Award recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 11 on ESPN.
Former Huskers Ameer Abdullah, Mike Moudy, Mark Pelini and Trevor Roach each earned a spot on the NFF Hampshire Honor Society when the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the members on Wednesday.
