Vernon Adams finalist for Walter Payton Award
Quarterback led Eagles to third straight Big Sky title
Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, The Sports Network announced Tuesday morning.
Adams, the runner-up for the award last year, will compete with two other quarterbacks, Justin Arias of Idaho State and John Robertson of Villanova.
The award will be announced at Dec. 15 in Philadelphia, along with the Buck Buchanan Award (outstanding defensive player), Jerry Rice Award (freshman of the year, won last year by EWU receiver Cooper Kupp) and Eddie Robinson Award (coach of the year).
Despite missing four games with a broken foot, Adams has 2,876 yards passing and 30 touchdowns in eight games, having completed 67 percent of his 301 passes with five interceptions.
Adams no longer meets the NCAA minimum of playing in 75 percent of a team’s games to qualify for NCAA statistical rankings (he would need to play in nine of EWU’s 12 games). If he did, he would lead FCS in per game rankings for total offense (391.5), passing offense (359.5) and points responsible for (25.0), and would be second in passing efficiency rating (179.5). Despite missing four games, he still ranks sixth in FCS with 30 TD passes (the leader has 38).
Arias is the official NCAA leader in touchdown passes (38) and passing yards per game (339.7). Robertson, who led Villanova to a 10-2 record and No. 6 seed in the FCS Playoffs, led FCS in passing efficiency (183.0 rating) and points responsible for (21.7 per game).
Previously, Eastern’s Bo Levi Mitchell (2011) and Erik Meyer (2005) have won the Payton Award, and J.C. Sherritt (2010) and Greg Peach (2008) have won the Buchanan Award.