The Doak Walker Award is given to the top running back in college football each season and the Wisconsin Badgers football program is tied for the all-time lead in athletes receiving the award.
Entering the 2023-2024 season, Wisconsin has had four different athletes win the award for a total of five winners in the program’s history. Ron Dayne became the first Badger to win the Doak Walker in 1999. During that season, Dayne rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground, winning the Heisman Trophy as well as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
The next Badger to win the award was Montee Ball, who did so after the 2012 campaign. The running back churned out 1,830 yards and 22 scores as a runner. Although it was his second-best season as a member of Wisconsin’s roster, it was his only time winning the Doak Walker.
Just two years later, Melvin Gordon became the third Badgers running back to be selected as the best in the nation. In 2014, Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns while adding 19 catches for 153 yards and three scores.
Finally, Jonathan Taylor won the Doak Walker Award in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019. Over those two campaigns, the running back had 4,197 combined rushing yards and 37 total rushing touchdowns. He was just the third player ever to win consecutive Doak Walker Awards.
Texas is tied with Wisconsin for the most Doak Walker Award winners with five, but they also had four players tally those wins. Ricky Williams (1997-1998), Cedric Benson (2003), D’Onta Foreman (2016) and Bijan Robinson (2022) have won as members of the Longhorns.
Alabama (3) sits at third all-time while Arkansas, Iowa, Stanford and Texas Tech are all tied for fifth with two Doak Walker Awards per program.
Most Doak Walker Award Winners By School🏆 pic.twitter.com/OzUYJwWkaA
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 10, 2024