“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” – “The Sandlot”
SMU’s greatest football legend, Doak Walker, will be honored and remembered at the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Chantilly Ballroom of the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
Shonn Greene of the University of Iowa has been named this year’s award recipient as the nation’s premier running back. Calvin Hill will also be honored Friday night as this year’s recipient of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Doak Walker Legends Award.
“Shonn was set apart from other running backs this season because he consistently gave outstanding performances. Donald Brown from Connecticut, Knowshon Moreno from Georgia and Javon Ringer from Michigan State all had outstanding seasons,” Jeff Lockhart, manager of Athletic Forum and Programs at SMU, said, referring to other candidates. “But Shonn Greene was the only running back in the nation that rushed for over 100 yards in every game this season.”
Both recipients are selected based not only on their athletic accomplishments, but their leadership and involvement in the community as well.
“In addition to playing ability, recipients show character and sportsmanship associated with Doak Walker,” said Suzy Brack, the administrative assistant in Program Services. “There are no requirements as to class standing.”
Lockhart said, “Doak Walker was the ultimate all-around threat on the football field as well as on the baseball field.” Besides his athletic accomplishments, Walker is known for being a “truly humble and gracious person.”
Quickly becoming known as “The Doaker,” Walker earned All-American honors in 1947, 1948 and 1949. In 1948, he was the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player in the nation.
While at SMU, Walker was also a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. Besides playing running back, defensive back and place kicker for the SMU football team, he also lettered on the SMU basketball and baseball teams.
About 1,000 guests are expected to attend this year’s event, which will be hosted for the fourth consecutive year by the co-hosts of ESPN’s College GameDay: Lee Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreet.
“Because this year’s Legends recipient is Calvin Hill, a former Dallas Cowboy, many former players are expected to attend this year – Drew Pearson, Billy Joe DuPree, Cliff Harris, Rayfield Wright, Lee Roy Jordan, Roger Staubach, etc,” Brack said.
The event begins at noon Friday with a Sponsors Luncheon for Platinum and Silver sponsors of the SMU Athletic Forum and out-of-town guests. The Legends recipient will then be presented with a gift and a rep from the recipient’s school is presented with the school’s Doak Walker Trophy.
Next, there will be interviews with both recipients of the Doak Walker award and the Legends award. A silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. auctioning off sports packages, trips and autographed memorabilia. A VIP reception begins at 6 p.m. and the banquet is from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
“I think this year’s Doak Walker Presentation Banquet will stand out because of Shonn Greene’s success story (he was out of football in 2007 and had to earn his way back on to the team and became an All-American in 2008),” Lockhart said.
“I also think all of the Dallas Cowboy greats that are attending to support the PricewaterhouseCoopers Legends Award recipient Calvin Hill will make this banquet special.”
For more information on this year’s Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet visit smu.edu/doakwalker, or contact Suzy Brack at 214-768-4314.
