Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Abdulqaadir Added to Payton Award Watch List
10/02/2002 | 12:00:00 | Football
Oct. 2, 2002
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Southern Illinois junior running back Muhammad Abdulqaadir was added to the Payton Award Watch List Wednesday. The award, which is sponsored by The Sports Network, is the I-AA equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Abdulqaadir, who leads the nation with 187.8 yards per game, ironically was added to the watch at the same time teammate Tom Koutsos was removed from the list. Koutsos broke his right wrist and arm in the team's third game of the season and was replaced in the lineup by Abdulqaadir.
The 16th Walter Payton Award will be presented at the I-AA College Football Awards on Thursday, December 19th in Chattanooga, TN, on the eve of the 2002 I-AA National Championship.
"Payton Watch" Candidates (as of Oct. 2)
*Muhammad Abdulqaadir, RB, Southern Illinois
*Ari Confesor, WR/RS, Holy Cross
David Corley, QB, William & Mary
John Edwards, QB, Montana
*Ryan Fuqua, RB, Portland State
Chas Gessner, WR, Brown
*Brett Gordon, QB, Villanova
C.J. Hudson, RB, Eastern Kentucky
Ryan Johnson, RB, Montana State
Robert Kent, QB, Jackson State
Stephan Lewis, RB, New Hampshire
P.J. Mays, RB, Youngstown State
Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
*Willie Ponder, WR, Southeast Missouri
Tony Romo, QB, Eastern Illinois
Allen Suber, QB, Bethune-Cookman
*Added to the list on Oct. 2
The official "Payton Watch" list will undergo two additional revisions prior to the mailing of ballots on November 25th. The next revisions will be announced October 30th, and the third and final just prior to the mailing of ballots. The ballots will be mailed to the media and I-AA sports information directors selected for the voting process on November 25th. The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award will be invited to attend the presentation in Chattanooga, TN, on December 19th, with the winner of that Award not announced until the event.
