University of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray sits for an interview during the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards at the Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler, Texas, on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Six exceptional college football athletes were selected as finalists for this year's award. (Chelsea Purgahn/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

For the second straight year an Oklahoma Sooner and Heisman Trophy winner was named the winner of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.

Kyler Murray, who led Oklahoma to the Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff semifinal, was announced as winner of the sixth annual award during a gala on Wednesday at Willow Brook Country Club.

“Obviously, it is a huge honor — (Campbell) being a Texas legend and a college football legend,” Murray said. “To be mentioned with his name and the other (nominees) representing the great state of Texas is a big deal.”

“I’m honored to present the award to Kyler Murray,” 1977 Heisman Trophy winner and native Tylerite Earl Campbell said. “All of these players had an amazing season. They all deserved their place as a finalist.”

Campbell, along with his sons Christian and Tyler, presented the award.

Murray is a graduate of Allen High School where he led the Eagles to a 43-0 record and three state championships. He first attended Texas A&M where his father was quarterback before transferring to Oklahoma.

Murray, Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin (Wylie East High School) and Mississippi offensive lineman Greg Little (Allen HS) were present for the packed awards dinner and reception.

Other finalists were Houston quarterback D’Eriq King (Manvel HS, recovering from knee surgery), Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace (Fort Worth, South Hills HS, family commitment) and Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams (Houston, C.E. King HS, training for NFL combine in San Diego).

David Smoak, Waco broadcaster, pinch hit as emcee for Ron Franklin, who was unable to attend due to a medical concern.

Billy Sims, 1978 Heisman winner; Gary Baxter, former John Tyler, Baylor and NFL standout; and 2015 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award winner Greg Ward Jr., who played at JT, Houston and with the Philadelphia Eagles, were in attendance. Also super agent Leigh Steinberg and his children were present.

Tylerite Emmanuel Daniels, JT valedictorian and last year’s recipient of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Scholarship, was on hand. He is currently attending Texas A&M and majoring in biology with future plans for pre-med.

Murray is OU’s seventh Heisman Trophy winner. He is the Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Year Award recipient. He was also named AP Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Manning Award.  

In addition, Murray was first-team All-America (AP and FWAA), Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, named to All-Big 12 first team and voted Most Outstanding Player of Big 12 Championship game. He tied a league record by being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week five times.  

The junior quarterback was also an Academic All-Big 12 second-team honoree. Murray played in all 14 games with starts in 13 contests (he was suspended for the first offensive series against Baylor). 

Murray, a ninth-round pick of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics in 2018, did not address if he will return to Oklahoma as quarterback or opt for baseball.

Richard Solomon, SPORTyler and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award scholarship chair, introduced the scholarshiip recipient, Daniels, and Skip Ogle, chairman of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, gave the invocation.   

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Committee for 2018 included Earl Campbell, Tyler Campbell, Christian Campbell, Henry Bell, Ed Broussard, Nelson Clyde, Dr. Tim Drain, Ted Gangi, Mayor Martin Heines, Dr. William Lockett, Dr. Howard Patterson, Chris Simons, Cindy Smoak, Craig Smoak, Richard Solomon and Walter Wilhelmi.

Voting was by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters as well as past winners.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, announced in 2012 by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and SPORTyler, 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 four-year Division I college in Texas.  

Other finalists were:

Eno Benjamin, Arizona State — A sophomore from Wylie, Benjamin was a first-team All-Pac 12 Conference running back. 

D’Eriq King, Houston — A junior from Manvel, King took only 10 games to break the American Athletic Conference single-season record for touchdowns responsible for, finishing with 50 before a season-ending injury in week 11.  

Greg Little, Mississippi — A junior lineman from Allen, Little was the anchor for an Ole Miss offense that ranked ninth in the country in total offense per game (510.5). He allowed just one sack, two QB hits and seven QB hurries all season. He graded at 90.5 in pass blocking for 2018 season by Pro Football Focus. He played in every game at left tackle since joining the Rebels in 2016 (36 games played, 29 starts).   

Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State — A sophomore from Fort Worth, Wallace, who was a national finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, was a first-team All-Big 12 honoree and a second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection. The sophomore led the nation during the regular season with 59 receptions of 10 yards or longer and tied for the FBS lead with 25 receptions of 20 yards or longer.   

Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M — A junior from Houston, Williams led the SEC in rushing (1,524), all-purpose yards (1,802) and touchdowns (16). The junior posted eight games with 100 or more yards, including two games with at least 200 yards. Williams became the fifth Aggie to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark twice in his career, and his 1,524 rushing yards ranks third all time in Texas A&M school history.   

The sponsors of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award include: city of Tyler, Azalea Orthopedics, BMW of Tyler, Brookshire Grocery Co., Clements Fluids Management LLC, Patterson Commercial Property Group, R.W. Fair Foundation, Southside Bank, TDI Air Conditioning/James and Sharon Wynne, Chesley and Ted W. Walters, American State Bank, Austin Bank, Baylor Scott & White Texas Spine & Joint Hospital, Prothro, Wilhelmi & Co., Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler.