The usual progression for winners of prestigious college Football honors such as the Doak Walker Award is to be named to a preseason watch list, then to become a semifinalist, a finalist and the winner.
Iowa running back Shonn Greene, the 2008 Doak Walker Award winner, didn't have such a smooth route. Not only was Greene absent from preseason watch lists, he wasn't even listed on his team's preseason depth chart.
The Hawkeyes weren't sure Greene would be available, let alone ready to play after leaving school for a year to straighten up his academics at a community college.
But Greene returned to Iowa in late June, worked his way into the lineup and rushed for at least 100 yards in all 13 games this season.
Greene was honored Friday night at the Doak Walker Awards presentation banquet at the Hilton Anatole.
Sometimes, Greene said, he has to pinch himself to make sure it's all real.
"Now it's just coming to me that all the hard work set this up," Greene said. "It's a reality, definitely."
Calvin Hill, a former runner back and current player development consultant for the Dallas Cowboys , said he was in awe of what Greene accomplished.
"Forget the preseason publicity and the watch lists," said Hill, who received the Doak Walker Legends Award. "At the end of the year, everybody had to be very impressed, not just with the consistency, but the consistency of excellence."
No thanks: As talented as Greene is, Hill said, the Cowboys might have to pass on the 5-11, 235-pounder in the upcoming NFL draft because they are so well-stocked at running back.
"I just watched what you did, and as a former running back, I came away with so much as far as how much you read your cuts, your power your explosion," Hill said. "You're going to make somebody in the National Football League very happy. Unfortunately, it probably won't be [Cowboys owner] Jerry Jones. But you never know with Jerry."
Different view: The keynote speakers for the banquet were ESPN College GameDay hosts Lee Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit.
Fowler drew the biggest laugh with his facetious remark about the BCS championship game between Florida and Oklahoma.
"There was absolutely no doubt that the teams there were far more deserving of a championship than all of the others - and if you believe that, then you've been partying with Michael Phelps," Fowler said.
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