• Complete Walter Payton Award Release
UT Martin graduate student quarterback
Keon Howard was one of 11 players added to the Walter Payton Award Watch List by Stats Perform. The award is presented annually to the national offensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision.
The Payton Award, celebrating its 35th anniversary season, is named for the legendary Hall of Fame running back. Two OVC players have previously won the award, Eastern Illinois quarterbacks Tony Romo (2002) and Jimmy Garoppolo (2013).
The original watch list of 35 players was released in the preseason and included Austin Peay sophomore quarterback
Draylen Ellis and Southeast Missouri senior running back
Geno Hess. Following the season, a group of finalists will be announced and a 50-member, national media panel will select the winner following the regular season.
Howard has exceled in his debut season in a Skyhawk uniform. The graduate transfer has helped lead an offense which leads the OVC in scoring offense (32.8 ppg), rushing offense (229.6 ygp) and ranks second in total offense (415.1 ypg). Overall, UT Martin has posted an 8-1 record overall while leading the OVC with a perfect 4-0 mark in league play and currently possesses the country's second-longest active winning streak of eight games.
The Laurel, Miss. native leads the OVC in completion percentage (58.6), passing touchdowns (13) and points responsible for (139) while ranking amongst league leaders in total offense (235.0, second), completions per game (15.5, second), passing efficiency (129.4, second), rushing touchdowns (10, third), passing yards (1,670, third) and rushing yards (445, ninth).
Howard has already left his mark on the UT Martin record books, setting a new program single-season rushing record for quarterbacks with 10 touchdowns while moving into the overall single-season rushing touchdown top-10 – sitting tied for ninth. He has also tallied four games with multiple rushing touchdowns which is a program record while recording three or more total touchdowns in six of nine contests.