Aug. 24, 2005
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman senior quarterback Ingle Martin and senior linebacker William Freeman are among 32 players selected by The Sports Network as candidates for the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Awards, it was announced today.
The Walter Payton Award is presented annually to the top player in I-AA football, and the Buck Buchanan Award goes to the top defensive player in I-AA. Both honors will be presented at the 19th annual I-AA College Football Award on Thursday, December 15th, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, along with The Eddie Robinson Award, honoring I-AA's top head coach.
In being named to the "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Watch" lists, Martin and Freeman are considered among the top 16 offensive and defensive players in the nation heading into the 2005 campaign.
Martin, a 6-foot-3, 224-pound product of Nashville, Tenn., now entering his second season at Furman, threw for 2,792 yards and 22 touchdowns -- both school records -- in 2004 in leading the Paladins to a 10-3 record, Southern Conference championship, and NCAA I-AA quarterfinal playoff appearance. His 25 touchdown responsibilities last season also marked a new school standard.
Freeman, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound native of Swansea, S.C., earned All-America and Southern Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year accolades in 2004 after totaling a team leading 100 tackles and 9.5 tackles-for-loss. He was tabbed South Carolina Player-of-the-Year by both the Greenville and Orangeburg Touchdown Clubs and 2004 Furman University Male Athete-of-the-Year.
In 2000 Furman tailback Louis Ivory captured the Walter Payton Award after rushing for a Southern Conference record 2,079 yards and 16 touchdowns, including a league record 301-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 45-10 win over Georgia Southern.
Ranked second nationally in the Sports Network preseason poll, Furman opens the 2005 campaign on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Jacksonville State. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET for the contest, which will be televised by College Sports Television (DirecTV Channel 610).
