DALLAS, TEXAS - The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced today that Texas State junior running back Robert Lowe is a preseason candidate for the 2014 Doak Walker Award. The award is presented annually to the nation's top college running back.
 
Lowe enters the 2014 season as the top returning rusher in the Sun Belt Conference after he ran for 945 yards and nine touchdowns on 164 carries. He was named a Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference First Team by Phil Steele and a Second-Team choice by Lindy's after earning All-Sun Belt Conference Second-Team honors by SBC coaches, College Sports Madness and Phil Steele in 2013. Lowe averaged 5.8 yards per carry and caught 19 passes for 166 yards and one TD out of the backfield last season. 
 
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name the semifinalists on November 18, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, who are announced on November 24. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on December 1 to determine the recipient of this year's award. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
 
The recipient of the 2014 Doak Walker Award is announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 11, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet is held in Dallas, Texas, in February 2015.
 
In its 25th year, the award is named after SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
              
Nominations for the award will be accepted through October. The complete list of candidates is listed below.