Mizzou Football junior tailback Marcus Murphy (DeSoto, Texas) has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2013 Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, the Louisville Sports Commission announced on Friday. The award is presented annually to the most versatile player in major college football.
A Second Team All-American and First Team All-SEC honoree last season, Murphy finished 2012 with a Mizzou-record three punt return touchdowns and one kickoff return touchdown for a school-record four kicks taken back for scores. His kickoff return TD was a 98-yarder against eventual BCS National Champion Alabama on Oct. 13, 2012.
The 2013 watch list, featuring 44 players from across the nation, was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2012 statistics, career performance and expectations heading into the 2013 season.
Murphy was one of the biggest return threats in the nation in 2012, ranking second in the Southeastern Conference and 10th in the NCAA with his season punt return average of 13.85 yards. He additionally ranked fifth in the conference (42nd – NCAA) in kickoff return average with his 24.11-yard mark. The Tiger did this after missing all of 2011 with a shoulder injury.