• Complete Payton Award Watch List
Eastern Illinois junior quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo has been added to the Walter Payton Award Watch List by the Sports Network. The Walter Payton Award was established in 1987 and is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level.
Garoppolo becomes the third OVC player on the Watch List (which includes 20 total individuals), joining Murray State quarterback
Casey Brockman and Eastern Kentucky running back
Matt Denham who were each on the preseason list.
Garoppolo is already chasing many of the EIU school records held by current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Now Garoppolo will be chasing Romo in another category as Romo was a three-time candidate for the Walter Payton Award as the OVC Offensive Player of the Year from 2000-02. Romo won the Payton Award in 2002 becoming the only player in the Ohio Valley Conference to accomplish that feat.
In his third season as the Panthers starting quarterback Garoppolo has thrived in new head coach Dino Babers up-tempo offense. He currently ranks second in the nation in total offense at 369.4 yards per game while ranking third in passing yards per game (365.4), fifth in pass completions and 17th in passing efficiency. Garoppolo is 141-of-233 this season for 1,827 yards. He has 18 touchdowns with only five interceptions. This season Garoppolo has four games with more than 300 yards passing including a career best 453 yards in this past weekend’s 65-15 win over Austin Peay. He has three games with five touchdown passes. Against APSU all five touchdown passes came from more than 50 yards while Garoppolo added a rushing touchdown to finish with 501 yards of total offense.
In five games this season Brockman has completed 176-of-260 passes (67.7%) for 1,679 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for three additional scores. The senior is averaging 335.8 passing yards/game.
Denham is ninth nationally in rushing, averaging 129.2 yards/game. In five games he has rushed for 646 yards and five touchdowns and caught five passes for two additional scores. Denham has helped EKU to a 4-1 record and a No. 16 nationally ranking.
The Watch List can undergo revision during the season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 175 sports information/media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season on Nov. 19. The top three vote-getters will be invited to The Sports Network FCS Awards Presentation.
2012 Walter Payton Award Watch List
Zach Bauman (RB), Northern Arizona
Shakir Bell (RB), Indiana State
Eric Breitenstein (FB), Wofford
Casey Brockman (QB), Murray State
Jamaine Cook (RB), Youngstown State
Matt Denham (RB), Eastern Kentucky
Tim Flanders (RB), Sam Houston State
Jimmy Garoppolo (QB), Eastern Illinois
Taylor Heinicke (QB), Old Dominion
Kurt Hess (QB), Youngstown State
Jeff Mathews (QB), Cornell
Miguel Maysonet (RB), Stony Brook
Denarius McGhee (QB), Montana State
Aaron Mellette (WR), Elon
Andrew Pierce (RB), Delaware
Wynrick Smother (QB), Central Arkansas
Brad Sorenson (QB), Southern Utah
Ryan Spadola (WR), Lehigh
Terrance West (RB), Towson
Zac Zenner (RB), South Dakota State