Grimes finishes fourth in Payton Award voting
Grimes received 10 first-place votes and 185 total points in voting sponsored by The Sports Network and Fathead.com. A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and others select the Payton Award winner as well as awards for defensive player of the year, coach of the year and freshman of the year.
The top three vote-getters -- quarterbacks Chris Lum of Lehigh and Bo Levi Mitchell of Eastern Washington and running back Shakir Bell of Indiana State – will be present at the FCS awards banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas, for the announcement of the 25th Payton Award winner, the FCS’ most prestigious award.
The FCS national championship game will be held in Frisco the following evening.
Grimes, a senior who was named first-team All Colonial Athletic Association, finished his career with 11 postseason awards, making him the most-decorated player in conference history. A three-time first-team all-conference selection at running back, Grimes' long list of accolades also includes being honored as the league's special teams player of the year twice (2010, 2011) as well as its offensive rookie of the year (2009). He was also chosen as a second-team All-CAA running back as a freshman (2008) and earned all-league honors as a kick returner all four seasons.
One of the nation's top players, Grimes led the country with 228.2 all-purpose yards per game and led the CAA and ranked sixth nationally with 130.1 rushing yards per game. Additionally, he set single-season school records with 2,510 all-purpose yards, 1,431 rushing yards and 817 kickoff return yards. En route to piling up the record-breaking numbers, Grimes rushed for more than 130 yards in six of eight conference games this season - highlighted by three consecutive 200-plus-yard games to close out the fall.
Grimes finished his career as W&M's all-time leader in rushing yards (4,541), all-purpose yards (7,955), kickoff return yards (2,289) and rushing attempts (936). Additionally, he ranks third on the CAA's career all-purpose yards list and sixth on the league's career rushing yards list.
Running back Terrance West of CAA member Towson University finished sixth in the voting, while quarterback Kevin Decker of New Hampshire finished eighth. Delaware’s Andrew Pierce and Richmond’s Tre Gray also received votes.
