The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award

Mount Enterprise native Kendre Miller and 2021 finalist Deuce Vaughn are among the 63 players on the 10th Annual Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, which was unveiled on Tuesday during the 16th Annual East Texas Kick-Off Luncheon held at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Center in Tyler.

The award and the luncheon are sponsored by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and SPORTyler.

Both Miller and Vaughn are junior running backs — Miller at TCU and Vaughn at Kansas State. Also, Vaughn is a native of Round Rock and a graduate of Cedar Ridge High School.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals.

In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or currently playing at Texas Division I four-year college.

The Watch List will be narrowed to up to 16 semifinalists in November and then up to five finalists in December. They will be selected by broadcasters, commentators, journalists, fans and previous winners. The finalists will be brought to Tyler for The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet scheduled for Jan. 11, 2023.

The Watch List includes players from nine conferences and two independent schools. The players represent colleges from 32 different states and 53 schools.

Wide receivers lead the nominations with 29, followed by running backs (14), quarterbacks (10), tight ends (5), offensive linemen (4) and tailback (1).

A player does not have to appear on the initial Watch List to be eligible to win the award. The Watch List is made up of players nominated from their respective schools.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was announced in 2012 by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and SPORTyler.

“We are fortunate to have a celebrity who exhibits the impeccable virtues that define this award,” Cindy Smoak, Executive Director SPORTyler, said. In addition to being a well-known sports figure, Earl also earned a college degree, married his high school sweetheart, raised two successful sons and still supports the community where he grew up.”

Earl Campbell graduated from John Tyler High School in Tyler before joining the Texas Longhorns under legendary Coach Darrell K Royal. In his senior year, he led the nation with 1,744 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns, going on to win the Longhorns’ first Heisman Trophy.

He was subsequently drafted by the Houston Oilers where he won Rookie of the Year honors in 1978 and went on to lead the NFL in rushing three times. Campbell earned NFL MVP in 1979 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. He now resides in Austin.

“All my life, all I wanted to do was be an athlete,” Campbell said. “I kept God in my life and surrounded myself with good people. I am humbled by this award named in my honor.”

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The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List

Ronald Awatt, UTEP, RB, Senior, Lubbock (Wolfforth Frenship HS)

Javen Banks, Texas State, WR, Senior, Wichita Falls (Hirschi HS)

Taye Barber, TCU, WR, Graduate, Cypress (Cypress Springs HS)

Logan Bonner, Utah State, QB, Graduate, Rowlett (Rowlett HS)

Davis Brin, Tulsa, QB, Senior, Boerne (Champion HS)

Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, RB, Junior, Manor (Manor HS)

Kam Brown, UCLA, WR, Junior, Colleyville (Heritage HS)

Trace Bruckler, New Mexico, TE, Sophomore, Frisco (Lone Star HS)

Roderic Burns, North Texas, WR, Junior, Houston (Lamar HS)

Stefan Cobbs, Boise State, WR, Senior, Fort Worth (Fossil Ridge HS)

Jarrett Doege, Western Kentucky, QB, Graduate, Lubbock (Cooper HS)

King Doerue, Purdue, RB, Senior, Amarillo (Tascosa HS)

Tauskie Dove, Missouri, WR, Graduate, Denton (Ryan HS)

Malcolm Epps, USC, TE, Graduate, Houston (Dekaney HS)

Zach Evans, Mississippi, RB, Junior, Houston (North Shore HS)

Alex Fontenot, Colorado, TB, Graduate, Richmond (George Ranch HS)

Courtland Ford, USC, OL, Junior, Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill HS)

Frank Harris, UTSA, QB, Graduate, Schertz (Clemens HS)

Sincere Haynesworth, Tulane, OL, Junior, Pearland (Pearland HS)

LaDarius Henderson, Arizona State, OL, Senior, Waxahachie (Waxahachie HS)

Seth Henigan, Memphis, QB, Sophomore, Denton (Ryan HS)

Elijah Higgins, Stanford, WR, Senior, Austin (Bowie HS)

Calvin Hill, Texas State, RB, Sophomore, Baytown (Ross Sterling HS)

Keanu Hill, BYU, WR, Sophomore, Bedford (Trinity HS)

Te’Vailance Hunt, Arkansas State, WR, Senior, Texarkana (Texas HS)

Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State, WR, Senior, Jacksonville, Florida (Blinn College)

Dominique Johnson, Arkansas, RB, Junior, Crowley (Crowley HS)

Quentin Johnston, TCU, WR, Junior, Temple (Temple HS)

Amare Jones, Georgia Southern, WR, Senior, Frisco (Frisco HS)

Brant Kuithe, Utah, TE, Senior, Katy (Cinco Ranch HS)

Damien Martinez, Oregon State, RB, Freshman, Lewisville (Lewisville HS)

Cooper McCaw, Liberty, OL, Senior, Southlake (Grapevine Faith Christian HS)

Jase McClellan, Alabama, RB, Junior, Aledo (Aledo HS)

Kendre Miller, TCU, RB, Junior, Mount Enterprise (Mount Enterprise HS)

Marvin Mims, Oklahoma, WR, Junior, Frisco (Lone Star HS)

Tanner Mordecai, SMU, QB, Graduate, Waco (Midway HS)

Ryan O’Keefe, UCF, WR, Senior, Austin (Round Rock HS)

Tyler Page, Appalachian State, WR, Graduate, Friendswood (Friendswood HS)

Brian Polendey, West Virginia, TE, Senior, Denton (Guyton HS)

Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington, WR, Freshman, Lufkin (Lufkin HS)

Myles Price, Texas Tech, WR, Junior, The Colony (The Colony HS)

Rashee Rice, SMU, WR, Senior, North Richland Hills (Richland HS)

Bijan Robinson, Texas, RB, Junior, Tucson, Arizona (Salpointe HS)

Bradley Rozner, Rice, WR, Senior, Needville (Needville HS)

Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State, QB, Senior, Denton (Ryan HS)

JuanCarlos Santana, Tulsa, WR, Graduate, Katy (Katy HS)

Blake Shapen, Baylor, QB, Junior, Shreveport, Louisiana (Evangel Christian Academy)

Tyrell Shavers, San Diego State, WR, Graduate, Lewisville (Lewisville HS)

Ainias Smith, Texas A&M, WR, Senior, Missouri City (Fort Bend Dulles HS)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State, WR, Junior, Rockwall (Rockwall HS)

Austin Stogner, South Carolina, TE, Graduate, Plano (Prestonwood Christian)

J. Michael Sturdivant, California, WR, Freshman, Highland Village (Marcus HS)

Titus Swen, Wyoming, RB, Junior, Fort Worth (Eaton HS)

SaRodorick Thompson, Texas Tech, RB, Senior, Irving (Ranchview HS)

Clayton Tune, Houston, QB, Senior, Carrollton (Hebron HS)

Calvin Tyler Jr., Utah State, RB, Graduate, Beaumont (Silsbee HS)

Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State, RB, Junior, Round Rock (Cedar Ridge HS)

Cameron Ward, Washington State, QB, Sophomore, West Columbia (Columbia HS)

Casey Washington, Illinois, WR, Junior, Round Rock (Pflugerville HS)

Parker Washington, Penn State, WR, Junior, Sugar Land (William B. Travis HS)

Theo Wease, Oklahoma, WR, Junior, Allen (Allen HS)

Jaden Williams, Boston College, WR, Sophomore, Pflugerville (Hendrickson HS)

Dylan Wright, Minnesota, WR, Junior, Dallas (West Mesquite HS)TWITTER: @PhilHicksETFS