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Jarek Broussard and Alex Fontenot

Broussard, Fontenot Named To Doak Walker Watch List

July 21, 2021 | Football

DALLAS--Sophomore Jarek Broussard and junior Alex Fontenot were two of 80 players named to the watch list for the 2021 Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation's top running back, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Wednesday.  

Broussard had an outstanding season last year that saw him named the Mayo Clinic National Comeback Player of the Year, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, unanimous first-team All-Pac-12 while also picking up various mentions on some All-America teams.  He led the Pac-12 and was third nationally in rushing at 149.2 yards per game, rushing for 895 yards in the Buffs six games counting the Alamo Bowl.  Through the regular season, he was averaging 162.6 yards per game, second most in the nation and the top mark in the Power 5.  

Fontenot injured himself prior to the start of the 2020 season after leading the Buffs in rushing in 2019 with 185 rushes for 874 yards and five touchdowns.  He was named the team's Most Improved Offensive Player and likely would've had a 1,000-yard season if not for an injury that forced him to miss one game and parts of a couple others.  Fontenot was also on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award prior to the COVID-shortened 2020 season before his injury.  

The two are close to each other on CU's career rushing list.  Fontenot is 60th with 917 career yards and Broussard 63rd with 813 yards, as CU doesn't count bowl games in its record book.  

The award began in 1990 and Rashaan Salaam was the winner in 1994.  Chris Brown (semifinalist in 2002) and Phillip Lindsay (semifinalist in 2017) also made it beyond the watch list phase.  

Wednesday is day three of two weeks of releases from the National Collegiate Football Awards Association.  Monday Nate Landman was named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's top defensive player.  The first week of watch lists continue with the Biletnikoff Award (top receiver) on Thursday and the John Mackey Award (top tight end) and Rimington Trophy (top center) on Friday.