Maysonet falls short in Walter Payton Award voting
Following a historic season as running back for Stony Brook University, Miguel Maysonet finished just short in the voting for the Walter Payton Award as the top college football player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke was honored with the prestigious award at a ceremony in Philadelphia Monday night. Maysonet joined fellow finalist Eric Breitenstein of Wofford for the ceremony as the 26th annual award was presented. Maysonet finished second in the voting and received 13 first-place votes, according to Stony Brook’s athletic department.
Heinicke was the ninth straight quarterback to win the award. He threw for 5,076 yards this season and accounted for 55 touchdowns (44 passing, 11 rushing).
Maysonet, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior, rushed for 1,964 yards — tops in the Football Championship Subdivision. He scored 23 touchdowns to join former Stony Brook running back Brock Jackolski as the only players in Big South history with a 20-touchdown season.
His rushing total was the 11th most yards in a season in FCS history. He rushed for 100-plus yards in six games and 200-plus three times.
Maysonet tallied a bevy of postseason awards. He was the Big South Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He also won the team’s Ernest Owusu Offensive MVP award.
He was selected to the Associated Press, Sports Network and American Football Coaches Association All-America teams.
Stony Brook launched a website to help promote Maysonet’s accolades this season, http://maysonet4payton.com.
Maysonet helped lead the Seawolves to a 10-3 season that ended in the second round of the FCS playoffs against Montana State. The Seawolves won their playoff opener at home against Villanova in a game Maysonet scored two touchdowns.
Maysonet graduated from Riverhead in 2009 after a senior season in which he ran for 2,328 yards while scoring 33 touchdowns.
