Senior
I-back Rex Burkhead earned a pair of preseason honors this week, when he was
named to the watch list for both the Walter Camp Player-of-the-Year award and
the Doak Walker Award.
Burkhead
was one of 50 players named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Award, which
is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding player. The watch list
will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists in mid-November and the 2012 Walter Camp
Player of the Year recipient will be announced live on ESPN SportsCenter on
Thursday, Dec. 6.
A
native of Plano, Texas, Burkhead was also one of 52 national candidates for the
Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top college
running back. Burkhead was one of 10 semifinalists for the award last season,
one of four returning semifinalists from the 2011 season. Semifinalists for the
award will be announced on Nov. 9, with finalists being announced on Nov. 19.
The 2012 Doak Walker Award winner will be announced live on The Home Depot
College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 6 on ESPN.
Burkhead
is coming off a 2011 season in which he ran for 1,357 yards, the
seventh-highest total in school history and the most yards by a Husker I-back
since Ahman Green in 1997. Burkhead, who was also named to the preseason watch
list for the Maxwell Award earlier this summer, scored 17 total touchdowns last
season, tying a Nebraska record by scoring a touchdown in each of the season's
first 10 games. Burkhead's 104.4 rushing yards per game ranked 19th nationally,
and he served as a workhorse, carrying the ball 284 times, the second-highest
total in school history. Burkhead posted a school-record 38 carries against
Iowa last season.
Burkhead
was also a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American last fall and an honorable-mention
All-American according to Sports Illustrated. Burkhead was also honored with a
Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award this spring, along with a third
straight appointment to the Brook Berringer Citizenship team. He also earned
national recognition as an Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion.
