Tyler, Texas----- For the first time in the eight-year history of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list, a San José State University football player is included.
Quarterback Nick Starkel, anxious to play his first game as a Spartan in his final season as a college football player, is one of 47 NCAA Division I players from the named to the 2020 award watch list.
Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and Tyler, Texas native Earl Campbell, the award is given to the top NCAA Division I offensive player who best exhibits integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity. The annual award also would have a connection to the state of Texas either by birth or high school, junior college or four-year college or university football participation.
For Starkel, the transfer from the University of Arkansas, he played his high school football first at Southlake Carroll High as a freshman before moving on to Liberty Christian High in Argyle, Texas. At Liberty Christian High, Starkel threw for 4,745 yards and 48 touchdowns in three varsity seasons.
In three seasons at Texas A&M University, one of them as a redshirt, Starkel started 10 of 20 games he played passing for 3,114 yards and 22 touchdowns. The 2019 Texas A&M graduate then transferred to the University of Arkansas for his first year in graduate school. With one semester of graduate school on his transcript, he transferred to San Jose State to major in justice studies.
In a typical year, the watch list is trimmed to a maximum of 16 semifinalists in November and five finalists in December. The winner is announced and honored in January following the end of the season.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list is the second for the first-year Spartan after August 10 when the Mountain West announced its teams, which includes San Jose State, seek to resume playing football after the conclusion of the 2020 fall semester. Three weeks ago, Starkel was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list.