Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Joel Sambursky Added to Payton Watch List
11/22/2004 | 12:00:00 | Football
Nov. 22, 2004
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (The Sports Network) - The race for the top player, defensive player and coach in I-AA college football took a final step on Monday as ballots for the 2004 Walter Payton Award and Eddie Robinson Award were mailed to all voters.
The ballots, which were sent to media and I-AA sports information directors selected for the voting process, will be due via fax by Wednesday, November 24th. The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award will be invited to attend the presentation of the Awards, with the winner of that Award not announced until the event.
The 18th Annual I-AA College Football Awards will be held Dec. 16th in Chattanooga, TN, on the eve of the NCAA I-AA national championship.
Four players have been added to the 16-member Walter Payton Award ballot since the most recent "Payton Watch" revisions on Nov. 3.
Jacksonville State running back Oscar Bonds, Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Martin Hankins, Montana State quarterback Travis Lulay and Southern Illinois quarterback Joel Sambursky have all been selected as Payton finalists.
Sambursky has a pass efficiency rating of 175.28 this season, second-best in the nation in I-AA. He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes with 19 TDs and four interceptions. Sambursky is the school's career leader in touchdown passes (43) and total offense (6,060 -- 5,036 passing and 1,024 rushing). He is also the most accurate passer in school history, completing 58.5 percent of his career passes.
Following are the 16 players and 16 coaches appearing on the 2004 Walter Payton and Eddie Robinson Award ballots. Additional information on each player, as well as history and facts about each of the I-AA awards, is available at www.sportsnetwork.com.
2004 Walter Payton Award Finalists
Charles Anthony, RB, Tennessee State
Oscar Bonds, RB, Jacksonville State
Jamaal Branch, RB, Colgate
Lang Campbell, QB, William & Mary
Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard
Davon Fowlkes, WR, Appalachian State
Martin Hankins, QB, Southeastern Louisiana
Vincent Jackson, WR, Northern Colorado
Dustin Long, QB, Sam Houston State
Travis Lulay, QB, Montana State
Erik Meyer, QB, Eastern Washington
Craig Ochs, QB, Montana
Joel Sambursky, QB, Southern Illinois
Ricky Santos, QB, New Hampshire
Chaz Williams, QB, Georgia Southern
Richie Williams, QB, Appalachian State
2004 Eddie Robinson Award Finalists David Bennett, Coastal Carolina
Kevin Callahan, Monmouth
Charlie Coe, Alabama State
Jack Crowe, Jacksonville State
David Elson, Western Kentucky
Jerry Kill, Southern Illinois
Bobby Lamb, Furman
Jimmie Laycock, William & Mary
Mickey Matthews, James Madison
Sean McConnell, New Hampshire
Tim Murphy, Harvard
Ron Randleman, Sam Houston State
Mike Sewak, Georgia Southern
Joe Taylor, Hampton
Frank Tavani, Lafayette
Paul Wulff, Eastern Washington
