UTEP: Aaron Jones Named to Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award List

For the second year in a row, Aaron Jones was named to the third annual Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List onWednesday.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four year college.

In 2014, Jones started in 12 games and guided the Miners to their first bowl appearance since 2010. He became the first underclassmen to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since John Harvey (1985-86). The El Paso native was named to the 2014 All-Conference USA second team and recognized as the Dave Campbell Texas Running Back of the Year, Dave Campbell Player of the Year honorable mention and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award honorable mention.

During the season, he led the team with a total of 1,321 rushing yards (fourth-best single season total in program history), rushing scores (11), points (84), yards per game (110.1), attempts (242), total touchdowns (14) and all-purpose yards per game (134.5). The current junior was ranked fourth in C-USA last year in yards per game and rushing yards to highlight a prolific rushing attack.

All in all, the bruising running back collected six 100-yard rushing games and six multiple touchdown games. His best performance of the 2014 season came against New Mexico where he tallied a career high in rushing yards (237) and rushing touchdowns (three).

UTEP is two and a half weeks away from kickoff against SEC foe Arkansas on Sept. 6 in Fayetteville, Ark.