Donaldson Named Finalist for Walter Payton Award

Running back Herb Donaldson ended his junior season as one of 16 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the top Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) offensive player.

Herb DonaldsonDonaldson, a broadcasting major from St. Louis, averaged 149.10 yards per game, the highest average in the Gateway Conference and the fifth-highest in the country, at the end of the regular season. He took only seven games to rush for 1,000 yards in 2007, helped in part to a 300-yard game against Missouri State. His 314 yards that day was the highest rushing total of any FCS player this fall. Donaldson had seven 100-yard games, four 100-yard halves and two 100-yard quarters this year. He was named Gateway Offensive Player of the Week twice and the national player of the week once.

Three Leathernecks in University history have finished among the top 10 vote-getters in the final Payton Award ballotting. Running back Aaron Stecker (1997-98) (New Orleans Saints) was the runner-up in 1997, running back Charles Tharp (1999-2000) finished eighth in 2000, and quarterback Russ Michna '02 MBA '04 (Chicago Rush Arena) placed sixth in 2003.

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