Ohio State football: J.K. Dobbins tapped for award from home state

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The honor is named after Earl Campbell, the legendary running back who played at the University of Texas and in the NFL for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Aside from ties to the Lone Star State, the winner is also expected to exhibit “integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals” according to the award’s presenters, the Tyler (Texas) Area Chamber of Commerce and SPORTyler.

Dobbins, who is from La Grange, is the seventh winner of the award and the first who did not play at a Texas college or Oklahoma.

Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty was the first winner followed by Trevone Boykin (TCU), Greg Ward Jr. (Houston), D’Onta Foreman (Texas), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) and Kyler Murray (Oklahoma).

Foreman was the only non-quarterback to win the award before Dobbins, who is part of a recent string of talented players to leave Texas for Ohio State.

Dobbins announced in late December he is entering the NFL Draft after rushing for an Ohio State single-season record 2,003 yards.

He finished with 4,459 rushing yards for his career, trailing only Archie Griffin in school annals, and was an All-Big Ten first-teamer as a junior.

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The other finalists for the 2019 award were Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer, SMU quarterback Shane Buechele, Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts and Oklahoma receiver DeeDee Lamb.

"I’m honored to present the award to J.K. Dobbins,” Campbell said in a release. “All of these players had an amazing season. They all deserved their place as a finalist.”