University of Richmond Athletics
Tim Hightower Added To Walter Payton Award Watch List
Oct. 16, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - University of Richmond senior tailback Tim Hightower, the nation's third-leading rusher, has been named to a list of 16 candidates on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award. The award is given annually to the most outstanding player at the Football Championship Subdivision level.
Hightower has enjoyed an explosive start to his senior campaign, averaging 167.2 yards in No. 18 Richmond's first six games. The Waldorf, Md. native has amassed 1,003 yards on the ground and rushed for a school-record 14 touchdowns this season. Currently riding a streak of five 100-yard rushing games, Hightower has scored a touchdown in every game this season with four each in consecutive wins over Northeastern, Bucknell and 11th-ranked New Hampshire.
The Sports Network, who sponsors the Walter Payton Award, added Hightower to its "watch list" Tuesday along with QB Jayson Foster of Georgia Southern, Cal Poly WR Ramses Barden, Southern Illinois QB Nick Hill, Hofstra RB Kareem Huggins, Citadel QB Duran Lawson, North Dakota State RB Tyler Roehl and Colgate running RB Jordan Scott.
"It would be hard to find a player who has impacted his team as much this season as Tim Hightower has impacted Richmond," said David Coulson, Executive Director of the Sports Network. "He has developed into one of the most dangerous offensive players in the country and is as deserving as anyone to be a candidate for the Walter Payton Award."
Hightower has helped the Spiders to a 4-2 start, which has seen the team average 36.5 points/game and rush for 254.2 yards/game. Richmond currently ranks 12th nationally in total offense (442.2 yards/game). Hightower is also third in the NCAA in scoring (16.0 points/game).
Those players join eight other candidates on the revised list. The other Payton candidates include QB Liam Coen of Massachusetts, RB Omar Cuff of Delaware, RB Herb Donaldson of Western Illinois, QB Josh Johnson of San Diego, RB Mike McLeod of Yale, RB Kevin Richardson of Appalachian State, QB Eric Sanders of Northern Iowa and QB Ricky Santos of New Hampshire.
Already a two-time National Offensive Player of the Week, Hightower has eclipsed six individual records at Richmond this season and is threatening to break six others. He currently owns the single-game rushing record (295 yards on 24 carries at Bucknell), the single-season and career scoring records (96 and 192 points, respectively), the single-season rushing touchdown record (14) and the single-season and career overall TDs record (16 and 32, respectively).
On top of his 295 yards and four TDs at Bucknell, he amassed 246 yards (on 19 carries) with four scores the game prior at Northeastern. He ran for three and caught one, along with 168 rushing and 41 yards receiving in the win over New Hampshire.
Previous winners of the Walter Payton Award include Tony Romo of Eastern Illinois (2002), Brian Westbrook (2001) and Brian Finneran (1997) of Villanova and Alcorn State's Steve McNair (1994). The award is named for NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton, who played for Jackson State.
Richmond head coach Dave Clawson coached both Westbrook and Finneran during his time as Offensive Coordinator at Villanova.
The Sports Network established the Walter Payton Player of the Year Award in 1987, and it is regarded as the Heisman Trophy of the FCS level. The winner is chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors and awarded at a ceremony in Chattanooga, Tenn. during national championship festivities.