Thomas Named Semifinalist for Doak Walker Award
11/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
| | Thomas |
An All-America candidate, Thomas is having a terrific senior year for the Wolverines. He has rushed for a career-best 1,320 yards on 223 carries (5.9 avg.) and has scored 15 rushing touchdowns. Thomas has gained 100 or more rushing yards in seven of the nine games this season, and his 146.7 yards per game average is currently the best season rushing average in school history (ranks fifth nationally in rushing offense and third in the Big Ten Conference).
Thomas needs five rushing touchdowns to break Ron Johnson's 32-year-old school record for rushing touchdowns in a season, and currently lists 11th in rushing yards in a season. Thomas needs 89 rushing yards to break into the top five and is 498 yards away from Tshimanga Biakabutuka's single-season rushing record of 1,818 yards in 1995. Thomas ranks tied for 11th in the nation in scoring (10.00 avg.) and is second in the Big Ten Conference.
He holds the career rushing touchdown (52) and career rushing attempt (828) marks, and needs 336 rushing yards to overtake Jamie Morris (1984-87) for the yardage record. Thomas lists third all-time in career rushing yards with 4,057 yards. He is tied with Tyrone Wheatley (1991-94) for the school record with 20 career 100-yard or better rushing games, and has gained over 100 rushing yards in 12 of his last 15 contests.
Thomas looks to join Jon Vaughn (1990) and Biakabutuka (1995) as the Wolverines' only Doak Walker Award finalists when the three finalists are announced on Thursday, Nov. 30. The 163 members of the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast their votes later in the month to determine the 2000 winner. The winner of the 2000 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 7.
Following is an alphabetical list of semifinalists: Dan Alexander, Nebraska; Damien Anderson, Northwestern; Rudi Johnson, Auburn; Robert Sanford, Western Michigan; Ken Simonton, Oregon State; Anthony Thomas, Michigan; LaDainian Tomlinson, Texas Christian; Deonce Whitaker, San Jose State.
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
