The PwC SMU Athletic Forum was launched in 1989 as a community outreach initiative that brought individuals who have achieved 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 sprots, 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 SMU and 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 34 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 SMU Athletic Forum events are used to support athletic scholarships and operating initiatives at SMU
2024 Doak Walker Award
Ashton Jeanty
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State’s first Doak Walker Award winner, has rewritten his school and conference record books this season and is on the cusp of college football history. The two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year has 2,497 rushing yards, the fourth-highest single season total in Football Bowl Subdivision history, and is within reach of Barry Sanders’ 1988 record mark of 2,628 single-season yards with at least one more game to play.
Four times this season, Jeanty was chosen as the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week. His 344 carries lead the nation and have outpaced the totals of 115 FBS teams and have led the Broncos into the College Football Playoff for the first time.
Four times this season, Jeanty was chosen as the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week. His 344 carries lead the nation and have outpaced the totals of 115 FBS teams and have led the Broncos into the College Football Playoff for the first time.
2024 Doak Walker Legends Award
Chris Gilbert
Texas Longhorn legend Chris Gilbert cemented himself in college football history by becoming the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons (1966–68). In his college career, Gilbert received All-Southwest Conference honors three times and was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1968. After college, Gilbert would go on to be drafted in the fifth round of the NFL/AFL Draft by the New York Jets. He would later be inducted into The University of Texas Hall of Honor in 1978, the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
After graduating, Gilbert, along with his former Texas Longhorns teammate Corby Robertson, co-founded Camp Olympia in 1968, which has since become one of the most successful summer camps in Texas. The camp has provided generations of children with a positive and enriching experience, playing a significant role in the local community. Following his time in the football world, Gilbert transitioned into a successful career as an investor and business executive in Houston.
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 SMU Athletic 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 February.
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 SMU Athletic 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.