Football | July 18, 2018

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan running backs Jamauri Bogan and LeVante Bellamy have been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. The Bronco duo are just one of three sets of teammates nationally on the preseason list.

The award, named after Hall of Fame SMU running back Doak Walker, is presented to the nation's top running back. It is the third year in a row that Bogan has been nominated.

A redshirt senior, Bogan enters his final season at Western Michigan ranked eighth in school history with 2,563 career rushing yards and fourth with 27 career rushing touchdowns.

Bogan was been WMU's go-to as a short-yard back and last year had 589 yards and three touchdowns on 112 attempts before sustaining a season-ending injury in game 10 vs. Central Michigan. In 2015 he was named MAC Freshman of the Year after totaling 1,051 yards and 16 TDs. He was also named MVP of the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl in Western Michigan's 45-31 win over Middle Tennessee after running for a career-high 215 yards and four TDs.

Entering his junior season, Bellamy has been one of WMU's most explosive backs but has had the last two seasons cut short by injury. Last year he totaled 394 yards rushing on 49 attempts and scored three touchdowns in six games played.

One of the fastest players on the Bronco squad when healthy, Bellamy's speed was on display in the season-opener at No. 4 USC where he had a 48-yard run and finished with 98 yards on nine carries against the Trojans. Bellamy also ripped off a 66-yard touchdown run on the opening drive in Western Michigan's seven-overtime win at Buffalo. Earlier this summer, Bellamy was laser clocked running a 4.32 second 40-yard dash.

Western Michigan opens the 2018 season hosting Syracuse at home on Friday, Aug. 31. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Season tickets and Pick 3 Plans are available for purchase at wmubroncos.com/tickets or 1-888-4-WMU-TIX.