Rutgers’ Paul James On Doak Walker Award Watch List

Rutgers redshirt senior running back Paul James was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List Thursday. The award is given annually to college football’s top running back.

Rutgers redshirt senior running back Paul James – Mel Evans/AP

James, who will lead a pack of running backs this upcoming season, is the first Scarlet Knight named to the watch list since Ray Rice in 2007.

Through the first four games of the season in 2014 before going down with a season-ending leg injury, James rushed for 363 yards on just 63 carries, averaging 5.8 yards-per-carry. He reached pay dirt on the ground five times and grabbed two receiving touchdowns as well.

In nine games as a redshirt sophomore in 2013, the Glassboro, N.J. native compiled 881 rushing yards to lead the team. He was named First Team All-American Athletic Conference after leading the league with 97.9 rushing yards per game. The powerful runner came to Rutgers as a walk-on, and has 1,266 rushing yards on 224 carries for a 5.7 yard average to his name at Rutgers.

The 6-foot, 205-pound James joins Leonte Carroo, Darius Hamilton, Janarion Grant, and Quentin Gause as players named to award/honor watch lists for this upcoming 2015 campaign.

Rutgers opens training camp on Aug. 9. The Knights open the season at home against Norfolk State on Sept. 5 at noon.

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