The PwC 51³Ô¹ÏÍøAthletic Forum was launched in 1989 as a community outreach initiative that brought individuals who have achieved extraordinary success in athletics to the Dallas community. In 2025, the forum has a reenergized vision to inspire excellence at the intersection of sports, business and leadership through a variety of events.
Additionally in 1989, the Doak Walker Award was established to honor the nation’s most outstanding collegiate running back. The award was named for Doak Walker, a three-time All-America selection at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøand the 1948 Heisman Trophy Winner.
In 1998, with the support of PwC, the Doak Walker Legends Award was created to recognize an individual whose extraordinary collegiate football career has been bolstered by an exemplary record of leadership in the community. Candidates are nominated by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, and the recipient is selected by the Athletic Forum Board of Directors.
Celebrating 36 seasons, the forum is widely regarded as America’s preeminent sports luncheon series, producing two annual luncheons and two evening receptions, as well as the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet. Proceeds from PwC 51³Ô¹ÏÍøAthletic Forum events are used to support athletic scholarships and operating initiatives at SMU.
2025 Doak Walker Award
Jeremiyah Love
Jeremiyah Love, a junior running back from St. Louis, Missouri, was named the 2025 Doak Walker Award winner, becoming the first Notre Dame player ever to receive the honor. Love delivered one of the most explosive seasons in college football, rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns while also adding 280 receiving yards and three scores. He led the nation as the only player with more than 1,100 rushing yards and an average of at least 6.6 yards per carry, and he ranked among the top three nationally in scoring, total touchdowns and yards from scrimmage.
Known for his power, balance and yards-after-contact ability, Love produced several record-setting performances, including the most single-game rushing yards in Notre Dame Stadium history. He will be formally honored at the Doak Walker Award banquet in Dallas on January 30, 2026.
Known for his power, balance and yards-after-contact ability, Love produced several record-setting performances, including the most single-game rushing yards in Notre Dame Stadium history. He will be formally honored at the Doak Walker Award banquet in Dallas on January 30, 2026.
2025 PwC Doak Walker Legends Award
To Be Announced
The Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee
Each summer, all NCAA FBS colleges and universities are invited to nominate a running back from their respective football teams. Prior to the end of the college football season, the PwC 51³Ô¹ÏÍøAthletic Forum Board of Directors convenes to select semifinalists for the award. The Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, comprised of sports writers, television commentators, analysts, radio sports personalities and former All-America and All-Pro football players, then narrows the field to three finalists and determines the recipient.
The recipient of the Doak Walker Award is announced in December during The Home Depot College Football Awards and is honored at the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet in Dallas in January.
In 1998, the Athletic Forum created the PwC Doak Walker Legends Award to honor former running backs who excelled at the collegiate level and went on to distinguish themselves as community leaders.
These awards are presented by the PwC 51³Ô¹ÏÍøAthletic Forum, widely regarded as America’s preeminent sports lecture series, hosting four annual luncheons and the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet. The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards.