31 Jul 2024 Powell named to Walter Payton Watch List

CONWAY — University of Central Arkansas running back ShunDerrick Powell was named Tuesday to the Walter Payton Award Watch List.

The Walter Payton Award is presented annually to the national offensive player of the year at the NCAA Division I FCS level. The award is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who played at FCS Jackson State and is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Powell, a finalist for the award in 2022 while playing at North Alabama, is a 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior from Hoxie, Ark. He rushed for 1,009 yards and six touchdowns in his first season at UCA in 2023. Powell led the United Athletic Conference (UAC) in yards per carry at 7.4 and had single-game totals of 256 yards on just 23 carries (11.1 per carry) against Abilene Christian and 218 yards vs. perennial power North Dakota State.

Powell has 2,761 career rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns. He was a unanimous preseason choice on the All-UAC team and was named a first-team preseason All-American by Stats Perform.