Football Southern Conference

Revised Payton, Buchanan Award watch lists include SoCon athletes

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Sports Network) An updated list of 32 players has been established by The Sports Network, I-AA college football's most widely recognized information service, indicating the current and official "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Battle" members. The "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Battle" pages, which can be found at The Sports Network's website
(www.sportsnetwork.com) keep track of the quest for the 18th Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the top player in I-AA football, and the 10th Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in I-AA. The honors will be presented at the 18th annual I-AA College Football Awards on Thursday, December 16th in Chattanooga, TN, on the eve of the 2004 I-AA National Championship. The Eddie Robinson Award, honoring I-AA's top coach, and the Sports Network Cup, bestowed upon the nation's best I-AA mid-major program, will also be presented on Dec. 16th.



Four new players grace the updated "Payton Watch" list, and three revisions have been made to the "Buchanan Battle" list. On the Payton Watch, quarterbacks Mark Borda (Lehigh), Lang Campbell (William & Mary), Chaz Williams (Georgia Southern) and Richie Williams (Appalachian State) have been selected as potential candidates. For the Buchanan, defensive end Chris Gocong (Cal Poly), linebackers Justin Durant (Hampton) and Gian Villante
(Hofstra) and defensive back Shannon James (Massachusetts) have been added to the list.



The official "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Battle" lists will undergo one additional revisions prior to the distribution of ballots on November 22nd. The final changes will be made just prior to the distribution of ballots. The ballots will be mailed electronically to the media and I-AA sports information directors selected for the voting process on November 22nd, and will be due Wednesday, November 24th. The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award will be invited to attend the presentation in Chattanooga, TN, with the winner of that Award not announced until the event.



Following are the 32 current members of both the "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Battle" lists, with additional information on each player, as well as history and facts about each of the I-AA awards, available at www.sportsnetwork.com.



"Payton Watch" Candidates (Nov. 3)
Charles Anthony, RB, Tennessee State

*Mark Borda, QB, Lehigh

Jamaal Branch, RB, Colgate

*Lang Campbell, QB, William & Mary

Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard

Davon Fowlkes, WR, Appalachian State

Travis Glasford, RB, Western Illinois

Efrem Hill, WR, Samford

Vincent Jackson, WR, Northern Colorado

Dustin Long, QB, Sam Houston State

Erik Meyer, QB, Eastern Washington

Craig Ochs, QB, Montana

Ricky Santos, QB, New Hampshire

*Chaz Williams, QB, Georgia Southern

*Richie Williams, QB, Appalachian State

Marcus Williams, RB, Maine



"Buchanan Battle" Candidates (Nov. 3)
Tom Alfsen, DE, Lehigh

Lee Basinger, DL, Wofford

Jordan Beck, LB, Cal Poly

Antoine Bethea, DB, Howard

Roger Cooper, LB, Montana State

*Justin Durant, LB, Hampton

Liam Ezekiel, LB, Northeastern

Brady Fosmark, DL, Weber State

William Freeman, LB, Furman

*Chris Gocong, DE, Cal Poly

Boomer Grigsby, LB, Illinois State

*Shannon James, DB, Massachusetts

Tad Kornegay, DB, Fordham

Kevin Talley, LB, Norfolk State

Charles Thompson, LB, Western Kentucky

*Gian Villante, LB, Hofstra