Willis Named Finalist for Dudley Award
4/22/2021 12:00:00 AM | Football
Liberty's Malik Willis is one of three finalists for this year's Dudley Award, as announced by the Touchdown Club of Richmond.
The Dudley Award is given annually to the best college football player in Virginia, as voted on by a panel of media members from around the commonwealth.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some teams played a spring season, delaying the traditional December presentation of the award.
Joining Willis as a finalist for this year's Dudley Award are Virginia Tech running back Khalil Herbert and VMI quarterback Reece Udinski.
This year's Dudley Award ceremony will air on WTVR-TV6 in Richmond, and online at WTVR.com, on Saturday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
Liberty and VMI have never had a football player earn the Dudley Award honor. Virginia Tech, which had a near-lock on winning the award in the early 2000s, hasn't produced a Dudley winner since 2011, when running back David Wilson took home the prize.
Saturday night's presentation will include the annual awards given by the Touchdown Club of Richmond, including the state Coach of the Year honor and the Wells Fargo Advisors Humanitarian Award.
The Lanier Award, given to the state's best small-college player, will also be given out. Because of the unique nature of the season, there will not be finalists announced for the Lanier Award.
Willis was the No. 1 rushing quarterback in the country in 2020. He led all FBS quarterbacks with 944 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Willis set school records in both statistical categories for a quarterback with his standout totals.
The native of Atlanta, Ga., also finished his first season under center for the Flames completing 170-of-265 passing attempts for 2,260 yards and 20 touchdowns. The quarterback was up for several national honors throughout the season, including the Davey O'Brien Award Quarterback Class of 2020 listing.
