TOWSON, Md. – Tom Flacco and
Shane Simpson have been selected to the 2019 STATS FCS Walter Payton Award preseason watch list, announced on Wednesday.
The Walter Payton Award, which debuted in 1987, is given to the most outstanding offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Flacco and Simpson are two of 25 players on the preseason watch list. Towson University has two of the three Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) representatives on the list, the other being Aaron Parker of Rhode Island.
Both players are named to the preseason watch list for the first time. Flacco was added to the 2018 Walter Payton Award Watch List in October of last season, finishing fifth in the final voting and first among 2019 returners.
In the history of the honor, Dave Meggett won the award in 1988. Flacco,
Terrance West (2013), Joe Lee (1999) and Tony Vinson (1993) have all been finalists, finishing in the top-10 in those years.
Flacco, the 2018 CAA and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, finished in the top-12 of several categories in FCS last season, including total offense, passing yards, passing yards per game, passing touchdowns and completion per game. Towson's quarterback tallied up 3,251 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns and 742 rushing yards, earning double digit completions and at least one passing touchdown in all 12 games.
Simpson, named a 2018 All-American by five different publications, was second in all of FCS football in all-purpose yards last season, totaling 2,058 for 171.5 per contest. Earning All-CAA honors at each running back, kick returner and punt returner, he racked up 711 rushing yards, 356 receiving yards and 991 combined kick return yardage for the Tigers in 2018, having at least 150 all-purpose yards in eight games.
Nominees will be selected at a later date with the winner to be announced on Jan. 10.
- TowsonTigers.com –
