Nov. 21, 2005
PHILADELPHIA - It is unknown if The Sports Network took notice of Illinois State's Laurént Robinson's 292 yards receiving in the season finale against Indiana State, or if it was his Gateway Football Conference and school record 1,465 receiving yards on the season that garnered respect. Either way one thing is for certain -- Robinson is the latest addition to the 2005 Walter Payton Award Watch List as of Monday.
Robinson is one of 16 players on the final ballot for the award, which is presented to the top offensive player in Division I-AA football. With his addition, the Redbirds now have three players, including Brent Hawkins and Cameron Siskowic, among the 32 players that are eligible for the nation's top two individual honors in all of I-AA. Both Hawkins and Siskowic are on the final ballot for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the nation's top I-AA defensive player.
Robinson capped off an amazing season with an incredible individual performance in Illinois State's 70-28 rout of Indiana State in the season finale. The junior hauled in 14 catches for 292 yards and three touchdowns.
Robinson's 14 catches tied the Illinois State single-game record, which also ranks No. 2 in Gateway history. His 292 yards set the standard for both Illinois State and the conference, while it was also the second-best performance in all of Division I football this season.
The Rockledge, Fla., native finished the regular season with 1,465 yards receiving, while his 86 catches on the season broke the Illinois State record and tied the Gateway mark. He also hauled in 12 touchdowns, while averaging 17 yards per catch.
The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award, along with the winner of the Buck Buchanan Award, will be invited to attend the presentation of the awards, with the winners of both honors not being announced until the event. The 19th Annual I-AA College Football Awards will be held Dec. 15th in Chattanooga, Tenn., on the eve of the NCAA I-AA national championship.
