Three Running Backs and a Wide Receiver Earn Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll
Foursome Also Returns Kicks and Punts Leading Teams to Wins in Week 10
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Louisville, Ky. – November 5, 2018 – Three running backs with double-digit carries and a blazing-fast wide receiver, all of whom touched the ball at least three different ways on offense and special teams, earned the Paul Hornung Award Honor for week 10 of the college football season. Honorees are Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State; Marcus Green, Louisiana-Monroe; Connor Heyward, Michigan State; and Marquis Young, UMass.
The Paul Hornung Award, now in its ninth 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 dinner presented by Jewish Hospital Sports Medicine, to be held at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville in March 2019. This will be the Paul Hornung Award’s third year as an associate member of the National College Football Awards Association.
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Appalachian State red-shirt freshman running back Darrynton Evans touched the ball 29 times rushing, receiving and returning kicks. He also scored once and accounted for eight first downs in the Mountaineers’ 23-7 Sun Belt Conference win over Coastal Carolina on the road. Evans carried the ball 27 times for 159 yards and a touchdown, caught one pass for 12 yards and returned a kickoff 35 yards to help App State stay within one game of the lead in conference division standings.
Louisiana-Monroe junior wide receiver Marcus Green scored twice on long pass plays, fielded punts and returned a kickoff as the Warhawks upset Georgia Southern 44-25 in a home Sun Belt Conference game. Green hauled in an 80-yard scoring strike in the first quarter and a 69-yard score in the second quarter as LA-Monroe built a 20-0 lead. He also fair caught five punts that provided the Warhawks solid field position.
Michigan State sophomore running back Connor Heyward carried the ball 15 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns, caught a pass and returned a kickoff as the Spartans beat Maryland 24-3 in a Big Ten road game. Heyward scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown on an 18-yard run in the first quarter, rushed for seven first downs in the game and returned a kickoff 49 yards.
UMass junior running back Marquis Young accounted for 215 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on 27 touches in the Minutemen’s 62-59, triple overtime home win over Liberty. Young scored on a four-yard run in the third quarter and a nine-yard run with :025 in the fourth quarter to push the game into overtime. He also caught three passes, returned three kickoffs and rushed for seven first downs.
The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son, and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players who often go unnoticed.
Previous Paul Hornung Award winners by year:
- 2017: Saquon Barkley of Penn State won the award as an electrifying All-American running back who lined up at slot and wildcat quarterback, and returned kicks and punts;
- 2016: Jabrill Peppers of Michigan won the award by playing 15 different positions on defense, offense and special teams, and earning first team All-America at linebacker;
- 2015: Christian McCaffrey of Stanford won the award after breaking the NCAA record for all-purpose yards, finishing with 3,864;
- 2014: Shaq Thompson of Washington won the award as a two-way player, earning first team All-American honors at linebacker and finishing as the Husky’s second-leading rusher at tailback;
- 2013: Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU won the award after finishing the season ranked second in the nation and first in the Southeastern Conference with 2,222 all-purpose yards and 185.2 average yards per game;
- 2012: Tavon Austin of West Virginia won the award as one of two players in the nation with more than 500 yards in three different categories (rushing, receiving and kick returns);
- 2011: Brandon Boykin of Georgia won the award after excelling on defense, offense and special teams; and
- 2010: Owen Marecic of Stanford won the inaugural Paul Hornung Award as a two-way starter and All Pac-10 performer at fullback and linebacker.