Sports

Football: Maysonet named to watch list for prestigious award

ROBERT O’ROURK FILE PHOTO | Miguel Maysonet is Stony Brook’s all-time leader in career touchdowns heading into his senior year.

Former standout Riverhead football player Miguel Maysonet was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list, the Sports Network, presenters of the award, announced today.

The award is given annually to the most outstanding college football player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Twenty players were nominated for the preseason watch list.

Maysonet, who began his college career at Hofstra for one season before the program was cancelled, is coming off a banner year at Stony Brook University. The Big South Offensive Player of the Year, he rushed for a conference record 1,633 yards and scored 15 touchdowns in his junior season. He became the school’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns with 27.

His 2,761 yards is fifth all-time in conference history and he’s 873 yards away from record held by Jacksonville Jaguar running back Rashad Jennings.

Maysonet helped lead the Seawolves into the Division I Football Championship playoffs where they eventually fell to top-seeded Sam Houston State, 34-27. It was the best season in school history for Stony Brook, which finished 9-4. Stony Brook hosted a first-round playoff game against Albany and won a thrilling comeback victory 31-28.

At Riverhead Maysonet won the 2008 Hansen Award as the top player in Suffolk County. Behind his dominant running game, the Blue Waves blew away every opponent en route to an undefeated season that ended with a Long Island Chamionship. The Blue Waves also won the Rutgers Trophy as the top team in Suffolk County.

Stony Brook begins the 2012 season Sept. 1 at home against Central Connecticut.

The Walter Payton Award has been given out since 1987. No Stony Brook player has ever won it. Bo Levi Mitchell, a quarterback from Eastern Washington, won the award last year.

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