Award is Presented to the Nation’s Top College Running Back
By Tim Harkins
Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations,
Public Relations and Broadcasting
University of Wyoming Athletics
Laramie, Wyo. (July 20, 2022) – University of Wyoming junior running back Titus Swen was named to the Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum on Wednesday. The Forum annually presents the award to the nation’s top college running back. This is the first time Swen has been named to the preseason list.
Swen is coming off an extremely productive 2021 season. He earned Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors from Pro Football Focus, while rushing for a career high 785 yards and seven touchdowns.
Swen averaged 5.95 yards per carry to rank No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 26 in the nation. He recorded two 100-yard rushing games in ‘21 — 166 yards in a home win over Colorado State and 169 yards in a road win over eventual Mountain West Champion Utah State. The 169 yards at Utah State included a 98-yard run for a touchdown that put on display Swen’s explosive running style.
University athletic departments nominate candidates for the award and can continue to do so through October.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists in November. Three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced later in November. The committee will cast a second vote in December to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2022 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards.
The award is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
Honoring the legends of sports for 33 years, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas, the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum includes four luncheons and the prestigious Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.
The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about the association.
