TYLER, Texas — The postseason honors continue to roll in for Sincere McCormick, as the UTSA running back has been named a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award for the second straight season.
McCormick is one of five finalists for the award, which recognizes the top offensive player in NCAA Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year Division I Texas college.
McCormick joins Baylor running back Abram Smith, Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn, Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson and WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe on the finalist list.
The winner will be announced at the award banquet in Tyler on Jan. 12, 2022. All finalists will be invited to the event and the emcee is Brian Jones, college football studio analyst for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network. Fans can vote once daily for their favorite finalist at earlcampbellaward.com.
This honor comes a day after McCormick collected his second All-America certificate of the season and fourth of his career, as he was named to the Associated Press' third team on Monday and to the Football Writers Association of America second team last Friday for the second straight year after also receiving a second-team nod from Phil Steele in 2020.
The Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection for the second consecutive year, McCormick also was tabbed the Best Running Back and to the All-Texas College First Team by Dave Campbell's Texas Football last week.
McCormick has rushed for 1,479 yards and 15 touchdowns on 298 carries — all UTSA records — and caught 22 passes for 184 yards in 13 games this fall, helping lead the No. 24-ranked Roadrunners to a 12-1 record and the program's first conference title. The Converse Judson High School product has topped the 100-yard mark on the ground in a program-record eight games, including rushing for 204 yards and three TDs in the 49-41 victory against WKU en route to being named the C-USA Championship Game MVP. He broke his own UTSA standard for single-game attempts with 41 for 184 yards and three scores in the 31-28 comeback win at Memphis, and he also reached the end zone three times after rushing for 113 yards in the 45-16 victory over Louisiana Tech.
A semifinalist for both the Doak Walker and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards, McCormick leads C-USA and ranks fifth in the FBS in rushing yards, and he sits 10th nationally in rushing touchdowns. A 2019 FWAA Freshman All-American, he owns 20 school records including career marks for rushing yards (3,929), rushing TDs (34), 100-yard rushing performances (18) and all-purpose yards (4,438).
The Roadrunners will make their second straight and third overall bowl appearance when they face San Diego State (11-2) in the Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 21. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Toyota Stadium in Frisco and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
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