University of Missouri sophomore tailback Henry Josey (Angleton, Texas) has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2011 Doak Walker Award, which is awarded annually by the PxCSMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors, and goes to the nation’s top running back.

Despite beginning the season third on the depth chart, Josey has burst into the national scene, as he leads the Big 12 Conference, and ranks 5th nationally, with his average of 127.67 yards per game.  Josey’s per-carry average of 8.57 yards is second-best in the nation, and he’s doing his damage against a schedule that is ranked as toughest in the nation by the latest Sagarin rankings, and as the 4th-toughest by the NCAA.

Josey’s big-play abilities have seen him muster a nation-leading 43 rushes of 10 or more yards and 13 runs of 20 or more yards this season, and his 263-yard (3 TDs) outing against Western Illinois is the 3rd-highest single-game total on the year.  Josey has four-straight 100-yard games entering Saturday’s showdown with #16 Texas, and he’s got six games overall this year over the century mark, including a 162-yard effort in leading MU to an overtime win at #16 Texas A&M – coming against an Aggie defense which entered the game ranked 5th in the nation against the run, allowing just 79.86 yards per game.

Josey has 1,149 yards on the season, which is already 6th-most on the Mizzou single-season rushing chart.

— MU Sports Information —