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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Dec. 1, 2011) - William & Mary All-American
running back Jonathan Grimes finished fourth in voting for the Walter Payton
Award, given to the most outstanding player in the Football Championship Subdivision
(FCS) and announced Thursday.
Grimes received 10 first-place votes and 185 total points in voting sponsored
by The Sports Network and Fathead.com. A national panel of sports information
and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and others select the
Payton Award winner as well as awards for defensive player of the year, coach
of the year and freshman of the year.
The top three vote-getters - quarterbacks Chris Lum of Lehigh and Bo Levi
Mitchell of Eastern Washington and running back Shakir Bell of Indiana State -
will be present at the FCS awards banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas, for the
announcement of the 25th Payton Award winner, the FCS' most prestigious award.
The FCS national championship game will be held in Frisco the following
evening.
Grimes, a senior who was named first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association,
finished his career with 11 postseason awards, making him the most-decorated
player in conference history. A three-time first-team all-conference selection
at running back, Grimes' long list of accolades also includes being honored as
the league's special teams player of the year twice (2010, 2011) as well as its
offensive rookie of the year (2009). He was also chosen as a second-team
All-CAA running back as a freshman (2008) and earned all-league honors as a
kick returner all four seasons.
One of the nation's top players, Grimes led the country with 228.2 all-purpose
yards per game and led the CAA and ranked sixth nationally with 130.1 rushing
yards per game. Additionally, he set single-season school records with 2,510
all-purpose yards, 1,431 rushing yards and 817 kickoff return yards. En route
to piling up the record-breaking numbers, Grimes rushed for more than 130 yards
in six of eight conference games this season - highlighted by three consecutive
200-plus-yard games to close out the fall.
Grimes finished his career as W&M's all-time leader in rushing yards
(4,541), all-purpose yards (7,955), kickoff return yards (2,289) and rushing
attempts (936). Additionally, he ranks third on the CAA's career all-purpose
yards list and sixth on the league's career rushing yards list.














