The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. The honor was first given in 1987 to the outstanding player in the division, but in 1995, eligibility was restricted to offensive players, as the Buck Buchanan Award for defensive players was inaugurated.
The trophy was named in honor of the late National Football League (NFL) legend Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State University. Both the Payton and Buchanan Awards are awarded by The Sports Network the night before the annual NCAA Division I Football Championship.
Among the many schools in the division, only seven schools have won it twice: Appalachian State, Colgate, Eastern Washington, Georgia Southern, Idaho, New Hampshire, and Villanova. In 2009, Armanti Edwards from Appalachian State became the first player to receive the award twice.
Read more about Walter Payton Award: Winners, Past Finalists
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