Temple University Athletics
Thomas Makes 2016 Paul Hornung Award Watch List
7.13.16 | Football
PHILADELPHIA -- The Louisville Sports Commission today named 43 multi-talented college football players to the 2016 Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse. Temple's senior running back Jahad Thomas is among those selected.
Thomas, from Elizabeth, N.J., earned first team All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2015 when he rushed for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns. The senior playmaker also added 216 receiving yards and two additional scores, including a school-record 100-yard kickoff return touchdown.
The Paul Hornung Award, now in its seventh season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award Banquet presented by KentuckyOne Health, to be held at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville in February 2017. The Paul Hornung Award recently was named an associate member of the prestigious National College Football Awards Association.
This year's Watch List is comprised of 21 seniors, 13 juniors and nine sophomores who start at a total of seven different positions, and represent 42 universities and all 10 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Thomas is one of four players from the American Athletic Conference - D'Ernest Johnson (South Florida), Quay Johnson (East Carolina), and Brandon Wilson (Houston).
Players on the Watch List accounted for 9,257 rushing yards, 15,787 receiving yards, 17,332 kickoff return yards, 3,676 punt return yards and 552 total tackles in 2015. Reminiscent of Hornung during his playing days, members of the Watch List demonstrated a knack for scoring numerous ways. Last season the Watch List players combined for 216 total touchdowns in seven different ways - passing, rushing, receiving, punt return, kickoff return, interception and fumble recovery/fumble return.
"I'm ecstatic that the Paul Hornung Award has gained national prominence in such a short time," said Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner who played every position in the offensive backfield during his Notre Dame career and was a triple threat halfback for the title town Green Bay Packers of the early 1960s. "During the past six years the quality of our winners, finalists and weekly honorees has been impressive, and I'm pleased that we are able to acknowledge outstanding players who contribute any way possible to help their teams win the way I did."
"I enjoy following the players on our Watch List and watching many of our winners and finalists from the first six years as they make their marks in the NFL," continued Hornung who maintains an office in downtown Louisville. Hornung won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback and earned NFL MVP honors for the Green Bay Packers in 1961, setting a single-season NFL scoring record rushing, receiving, passing and kicking that stood 46 years. He is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called him, "The most versatile man ever to play the game."
The 2016 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2015 statistics, career performance, SID recommendations and expectations heading into the 2016 season. Players will be added to the Watch List during the 2016 regular season based on performance.
Thomas, from Elizabeth, N.J., earned first team All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2015 when he rushed for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns. The senior playmaker also added 216 receiving yards and two additional scores, including a school-record 100-yard kickoff return touchdown.
The Paul Hornung Award, now in its seventh season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award Banquet presented by KentuckyOne Health, to be held at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville in February 2017. The Paul Hornung Award recently was named an associate member of the prestigious National College Football Awards Association.
This year's Watch List is comprised of 21 seniors, 13 juniors and nine sophomores who start at a total of seven different positions, and represent 42 universities and all 10 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Thomas is one of four players from the American Athletic Conference - D'Ernest Johnson (South Florida), Quay Johnson (East Carolina), and Brandon Wilson (Houston).
Players on the Watch List accounted for 9,257 rushing yards, 15,787 receiving yards, 17,332 kickoff return yards, 3,676 punt return yards and 552 total tackles in 2015. Reminiscent of Hornung during his playing days, members of the Watch List demonstrated a knack for scoring numerous ways. Last season the Watch List players combined for 216 total touchdowns in seven different ways - passing, rushing, receiving, punt return, kickoff return, interception and fumble recovery/fumble return.
"I'm ecstatic that the Paul Hornung Award has gained national prominence in such a short time," said Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner who played every position in the offensive backfield during his Notre Dame career and was a triple threat halfback for the title town Green Bay Packers of the early 1960s. "During the past six years the quality of our winners, finalists and weekly honorees has been impressive, and I'm pleased that we are able to acknowledge outstanding players who contribute any way possible to help their teams win the way I did."
"I enjoy following the players on our Watch List and watching many of our winners and finalists from the first six years as they make their marks in the NFL," continued Hornung who maintains an office in downtown Louisville. Hornung won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback and earned NFL MVP honors for the Green Bay Packers in 1961, setting a single-season NFL scoring record rushing, receiving, passing and kicking that stood 46 years. He is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called him, "The most versatile man ever to play the game."
The 2016 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2015 statistics, career performance, SID recommendations and expectations heading into the 2016 season. Players will be added to the Watch List during the 2016 regular season based on performance.
Players Mentioned
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