OGDEN, UTAH – Quarterback Michael Herrick's huge offensive day Saturday against Eastern Washington earned him Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors from the Big Sky Conference, National Player of the Week honors from The Sports Network and a spot on the Walter Payton Award ballot.

Herrick joined Eastern Washington quarterback Matt Nichols as the Co-Offensive Players of the Week for the Big Sky. Weber State linebacker Nick Webb is the Defensive Player of the Week. Montana punt returner Marc Mariani is the Special Teams Player of the Week. The Sports Network selected him as the National Offensive Player of the Week.

Herrick, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior from Valencia, Calif., tied a Big Sky single-game record with 47 completions in 65 attempts for 574 yards with four touchdowns in Northern Arizona's 49-45 loss to Eastern Washington. Herrick's 574 yards set the Lumberjack single-game record and was the fourth-most in league single-game history. It's the highest total by an FCS quarterback this season, and the 11th-best total in single-game history. Herrick helped Northern Arizona recover from a 42-27 fourth-quarter deficit to take a 45-42 lead. This is Herrick's second Player of the Week honor this season.

Herrick was also added to the prestigious Walter Payton Award ballot, one of 20 players on the final ballot.

"It is well deserved," said Offensive Coordinator Brian Lindgren of the honors. "He did some good things for us this year and it will be good leading into next season."

Herrick recorded four of the top 20 single-game passing performances in school history this season, including nine games with 200 or more yards on the season and five games with 300 or more yards. He ranked third in the Big Sky and 15th in the nation in passing efficiency at 149.5 and second in the Big Sky and is sixth overall nationally in total offense (298.3). On the season, he completed 270-for-407 (68.2%) for 3,356 yards, the fifth-best total in the nation, with 22 touchdowns.

The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award are invited to attend the presentation of the Awards, with the winner of the Award not announced until the eve of the Division I Football Championship title game.

The Sports Network established the Walter Payton Player of the Year Award in 1987, and it is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the Football Championship Subdivision level. The winner is chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors from the division. When the award was established, it was the only such award to be presented to an individual player in I-AA/FCS football. It has since been joined by the Buck Buchanan Award, which was established in 1995.

Former Lumberjack Archie Amerson won the Walter Payton Award in 1996 and enjoyed a nine-year career in the Canadian Football League. Former winners of the Payton include current NFL players Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys (Eastern Illinois), Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles (Villanova), Adrian Peterson of the Chicago Bears (Georgia Southern) and Steve McNair of the Baltimore Ravens (Alcorn State).

2009 WALTER PAYTON AWARD CANDIDATES

Pat Devlin, Delaware, Junior, 6-4, 220, Quarterback, Downingtown, PA.
STATS: 220-of-344 (64%), 2,664 yards passing, 16 passing touchdowns 9 interceptions, 84 carries, 127 yards rushing, 4 rushing touchdowns, 1.5 average, 2,791 yards of total offense, 11 games played.

Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State, Senior, 6-0, 184, Quarterback, Greenwood, S.C.
STATS: 189-of-261 (72%), 2,504 yards passing, 10 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 101 carries, 575 yards rushing, 16 rushing touchdowns, 5.7 average, 3,079 yards of total offense, 9 games played.

William Ford, South Carolina State, Senior, 5-11, 200, Running Back, Travelers Rest, S.C.
STATS: 189 carries, 1,026 yards rushing, 8 rushing touchdowns, 5.4 average, 18 catches, 122 yards receiving, 2 receiving touchdowns, 6.8 average, 1,990 all- urpose yards, 11 games played.

Pat Grace, Northern Iowa, Senior, 6-2, 240, Quarterback, Sioux City, IA.
STATS: 155-of-253 (61%), 2,280 yards passing, 20 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 93 carries, 297 yards rushing, 8 rushing touchdowns, 3.2 average, 2,577 yards of total offense, 11 games played.

Cameron Higgins, Weber State, Junior, 6-2, 210, Quarterback, Hawaii Kai, HI.
STATS: 238-of-366 (65%), 2,890 yards passing, 28 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 30 carries, negative 95 yards rushing, 3,059 yards of total offense, 11 games played.

Terrell Hudgins, Elon, Senior, 6-2, 236, Wide Receiver, Rocky Mount, N.C.
STATS: 111 catches, 1,466 yards receiving, 15 receiving touchdowns, 13.2 average, 11 games played.

Deji Karim, Southern Illinois, Senior, 5-11, 205, Running Back, Oklahoma City, OK.
STATS: 205 carries, 1,512 yards rushing, 16 rushing touchdowns, 7.4 average, 13 catches, 161 yards receiving, 12.4 average, 2,068 all-purpose yards, 1 kickoff return touchdown, 11 games played.

Bryant Lee, Southern, Senior, 6-3, 205, Quarterback, Boutte, LA.
STATS: 158-of-250 (63%), 2,039 yards passing, 19 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 63 carries, 166 yards rushing, 5 rushing touchdowns, 2.6 average, 2,425 yards of total offense, 9 games played.

Michael Herrick, Northern Arizona, Junior, 6-1, 195, Valencia, CA.
STATS: 270-of-407 (66%), 3,356 yards passing, 22 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 31 carries, negative 75 yards rushing, 3,281 yards of total offense, 11 games played.

James Mallory, Central Connecticut State, Senior, 5-10, 200, Buffalo, N.Y.
STATS: 257 carries, 1,243 yards rushing, 15 rushing touchdowns, 4.8 average, 12 catches, 61 yards receiving, 5.1 average, 1,357 all-purpose yards, 3 blocked kicks, 11 games played.

Jeremy Moses, Stephen F. Austin, Junior, 6-0, 200, Baytown, TX.
STATS: 320-of-474 (68%), 3,488 yards passing, 36 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 40 carries, 55 yards rushing, 1.4 average, 3,543 yards of total offense, 11 games played.

Matt Nichols, Eastern Washington, Senior, 6-3, 220, Cottonwood, CA.
STATS: 255-of-382 (66%), 3,369 yards passing, 30 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 59 carries, 85 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, 1.4 average, 3,454 yards of total offense, 11 games played.

Toddrick Pendland, McNeese State, Senior, 5-10, 175, Tailback, Newton, TX.
STATS: 168 carries, 992 yards rushing, 17 rushing touchdowns, 5.9 average, 27 catches, 237 yards receiving, 2 receiving touchdowns, 8.8 average, 1,237 all-purpose yards, 10 games played.

Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville State, Senior, 6-3, 223, Quarterback, LaPlace, LA.
STATS: 138-of-236 (58%), 2,345 yards passing, 23 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 98 carries, 443 yards rushing, 8 rushing touchdowns, 4.5 average, 2,793 yards of total offense, 10 games played.

Curtis Pulley, Florida A&M, Senior, 6-4, 200, Quarterback, Hopkinsville, KY.
STATS: 137-of-226 (61%), 1,824 yards passing, 12 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 122 carries, 881 yards rushing, 6 rushing touchdowns, 7.2 average, 2,705 yards of total offense, 10 games played.

Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross, Senior, 6-3, 223, Quarterback, Amelia, OH.
STATS: 279-of-434 (64%), 3,429 yards passing, 31 passing touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 111 carries, 474 yards rushing, 6 rushing touchdowns, 4.3 average, 3,903 yards of total offense, 11 games played.

Chase Reynolds, Montana, Junior, 6-0, 195, Running Back, Drummond, MT.
STATS: 251 carries, 1,159 yards rushing, 15 rushing touchdowns, 4.6 average, 27 catches, 248 yards receiving, 2 receiving touchdowns, 9.2 average, 1,407 all-purpose yards, 11 games played.

Andre Roberts, The Citadel, Senior, 5-11, 190, Wide Receiver, Columbia, S.C.
STATS: 77 catches, 792 yards receiving, 8 receiving touchdowns, 10.3 average, 12 carries, 77 yards rushing, 6.4 average, 14 punt returns, 15.5 average, 3 kickoff returns, 22.0 average, 1,152 all-purpose yards, 11 games played.

David Sinisi, Monmouth, Senior, 5-8, 205, Running Back, Cedar Grove, N.J.
STATS: 300 carries, 1,437 yards rushing, 13 rushing touchdowns, 4.8 average, 20 catches, 249 yards receiving, 4 receiving touchdowns, 12.4 average, 1,738 all-purpose yards, 11 games played.

Trevyn Smith, Weber State, Senior, 5-9, 210, Running Back, Springville, UT.
STATS: 221 carries, 979 yards rushing, 7 rushing touchdowns, 4.4 average, 32 catches, 270 yards receiving, 8.4 average, 1,249 all-purpose yards, 10 games played.