Aggies' Turbin on Doak Walker Award Watch List

Utah State [University] football player Robert Turbin was named to the 2011 Doak Walker Award, honoring the nation’s top college running back, announced Friday [July 15] by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.

Turbin is one of 51 candidates in the field for the award. Ten semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 11 and the recipient will be named live on ESPN Dec. 8.  The list includes two Western Athletic Conference running backs, as Turbin is joined by Louisiana Tech’s Lennon Creer. Turbin is also one of two running backs from the state of Utah on the list, joined by BYU’s JJ Di Luigi.

“It is a huge honor to be recognized as one of the top running backs in the country,” Turbin said.  “I am truly honored and very humbled by this recognition. It is a nice reward for all the hard work and the hours of rehabbing from my injury, running and lifting.  This is a tremendous recognition for our program and we are looking forward to having a great season.”

Turbin is the first USU running back on the Doak Walker Award Watch List since Aggie legend Emmett White in 2001.

Turbin, a Fremont, Calif., (Irvington HS) native, missed all of last season with a knee injury, but is expected to make full recovery and return to his school-record setting form from 2009 when he ranked third in the WAC and 20th in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in rushing with 108.0 ypg, as well as third in the league and 32nd in the nation in all-purpose yards with 142.8 ypg. Turbin finished with 1,296 rushing yards, becoming the first USU back with 1,500 for a career since White (1998-01), who finished with 2,791 yards. The 1,296 yards rank eighth on the Aggies’ single-season rushing list, right behind White’s 1,322 yards in 2000 at No. 7. With 1,798 career rushing yards, Turbin is currently No. 11 on the USU career rushing list, 22 behind Jack Hill’s 1,820 yards (1952, 55-56) at the No. 10 spot.

“Robert had a tremendous season in 2009 and for him to be honored after missing last season with his injury is recognition of the hard work he did in recovering from that injury,” said USU head coach Gary Andersen. “It shows that all of his hard work with his rehab paid off with this preseason honor. We are very happy for Robert, this is a well-deserved honor. He is a leader for not only the offense, but our entire team. We look for him to have a great season as a reward for all of his hard work and dedication to our program.”

The recipient of the 2011 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards Thursday, Dec. 8, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, in February 2012.

The award, in its 22nd year, 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.

Turbin is one of Utah State’s 46 returning letterwinners (29 offense, 16 defense, one special teams), including 17 starters (10 offense, six defense, one special teams), from last season’s 4-8 overall mark, and 2-6 in WAC play, in head coach Gary Andersen’s second season at the helm of the Aggie program.

After its season-opener at Auburn, Utah State’s home opener is Saturday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. (MT), taking on in-state foe Weber State, marking the first time that USU and WSU have squared off since 2001, and Utah State leads the all-time series, 11-1. The Aggie-Wildcat match-up will have special meaning for Andersen, who will be facing his mentor, Weber State head coach Ron McBride. Andersen played for McBride at Utah in 1985-86.

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Contact: Zach Fisher, (435) 797-2066