For the third straight year, Tyrell Sutton has been named to the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list.

Aug. 28, 2008

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Dynamic senior running back Tyrell Sutton (Akron, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) has been named a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate running back. Sutton is one of 43 running backs from across the country to be selected as a candidate by the Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum.

Currently third on Northwestern's career rushing yards list, Sutton needs just four rushing yards to reach 3,000 during his tenure with the Wildcats and is the Big Ten's leading active career rusher. This is the third consecutive year Sutton has been named a candidate for the Doak Walker Award following a freshman season in which he burst on the collegiate scene, totaling 1,474 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground on his way to Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

Sutton has produced 12 100-yard rushing games in his career, averaging 96.6 yards per contest and 5.5 yards per carry.

In addition to his rushing talents, Sutton is unmatched in NCAA football in terms of productivity catching passes out of the backfield. He leads all active running backs nationally in career receiving yards per game (30.3) and career receptions per game (3.7).

The Akron native enters 2008 just 57 yards shy of 4,000 all-purpose yards and, with 61 more receiving yards, will become just the second Northwestern player in history to compile at least 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air.

Sutton and the Wildcats kick off the 2008 campaign at home against Syracuse on Saturday, Aug. 30.

The award, in its 19th 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.

Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum's Board of Directors will select semifinalists for the award on Nov. 10. Finalists will be named after a vote by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee on Nov. 24 and a winner will be selected on Dec. 1. The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show will announce the winner on Thursday, Dec. 11.