With preseason football camp just days away, Portland State tight end Charlie Taumoepeau has been placed on the prestigious Walter Payton Award Watch List. Taumoepeau, a consensus preseason All-American, is one of 25 players from around the nation on the initial Payton Award Watch List for the 2019 season.

The Walter Payton Award is the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for the NCAA I FCS level of football and given to the Offensive Player of the Year. The Watch List will be updated each month of the 2019 season, and the media will vote on the winner in late November. The Payton Award has watched past winners such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, John Friesz, Brian Finneran, Jimmy Garoppolo and Cooper Kupp move on to the NFL.
Taumoepeau, a second team All-American in 2018, has already been named to 2019 pre-season All-America teams by Stats Inc, Hero Sports and Athlon.

The 6-3, 245-pound senior from Federal Way, WA has been the Vikings' top offensive threat the past two years. Taumoepeau had 45 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore. It was the most receptions by a Viking tight end in 29 seasons. Last year, Taumoepeau started the season on fire, making eight receptions for 255 yards and four touchdowns in back-to-back weeks against Nevada and Oregon. 

Taumoepeau was leading the nation in yards per catch (36.2) and touchdowns (5) after three weeks, but he later missed time with a mid-season ankle injury. Taumoepeau still finished with 28 catches for 580 yards and five scores, ranking sixth in the nation in yards per catch (20.7), first among tight ends. He was named a consensus second team All-American despite being limited due to injury.

For his career, Taumoepeau has 81 receptions for 1,402 yards and nine touchdowns. He is within reach of PSU's all-time top 10 for receptions and receiving yards going into his senior season. Taumoepeau is a two-time All-Big Sky Conference selection.
 
Portland State has never had a Payton Award winner. A handful of players have been listed in the balloting over the past two decades. They include: QB Jimmy Blanchard (5^th in post-season balloting in 1999), RB Charles Dunn (4^th in 2000), Blanchard (12^th in 2000), RB Joe Rubin (8^th in 2005). The Vikings have also had players finish high in the Buck Buchanan Award (Defensive Player of the Year in FCS). They include: LB Adam Hayward (4^th in 2006), LB Andy Schantz (10^th in 2008) and S Patrick Onwuasor (2^nd in 2015).
 
Stats Inc. sponsors the FCS post-season awards (Walter Payton, Buck Buchanan, Jerry Rice Freshman of the Year and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year) as well as the weekly FCS Top 25 Poll. Other Big Sky Conference Players on the Payton Award Watch List include Troy Andersen (MSU), Eric Barriere (EWU), Case Cookus (NAU), and Jake Maier (UCD).
 
Taumoepeau and his teammates will begin practice on Monday, Aug. 5 at Camp Rilea in Warrenton, OR. They will work out for three days at Camp Rilea before returning to campus and resuming practice at Stott Community Field on Aug. 8.

PRONUNCIATION: TOU-moh-PAY-ow
 
Named to this year's Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List were:

Tyrie Adams, Western Carolina, QB, R-Sr., 6-2, 180
Dual-threat leads all active FCS signal callers with 9,389 yards of total offense; Southern Conference standout accounted for 26 touchdowns as a junior.

Troy Andersen, Montana State, ATH, Jr., 6-3, 215
All-around player was on the All-Big Sky first team as a quarterback last year (1,421 yards and 21 touchdowns on ground); will be utilized in different ways offensively while also playing linebacker in 2019

Kenji Bahar, Monmouth, QB, R-Sr., 6-3, 190
Fourth-year starter has accounted for 6,114 yards of total offense and 47 touchdowns in career; led Big South in most passing categories in 2018, including yards (2,626), TD passes (20) and efficiency (139.6)

Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington, QB, R-Jr., 6-0, 200
Guided EWU to the national championship game after setting FCS playoff record with seven touchdown passes in semifinals; accounted for 31 total TDs in 10 starts

Michael Bandy, San Diego, WR, Sr., 5-11, 190
Led the FCS in receiving yards (1,698); set San Diego record with 324 receiving yards in Pioneer Football League title-clinching win over Davidson

Grant Breneman, Colgate, QB, Jr., 6-1, 220
2017 Patriot League rookie of the year and then the first-team all-league QB in 2018, leading the Raiders to the FCS quarterfinals; has rushed for 708 yards in first two seasons

Case Cookus, Northern Arizona, QB, R-Sr., 6-4, 205
Won 2015 STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award with FCS freshman record 37 touchdown passes; two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection has 74 career TD passes

Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State, QB, R-Jr., 6-4, 230
Passed for JSU school records 3,416 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2018; named to All-Ohio Valley Conference first team

Tom Flacco, Towson, QB, R-Sr., 6-1, 208
No. 1 among returning FCS quarterbacks in total offense (332.8) in 2018; voted CAA Football offensive player of the year

Chase Fourcade, Nicholls, QB, Sr., 6-0, 190
2018 Southland player of the year who guided Nicholls to share of conference title; fourth-year starter has 7,728 career passing yards

A.J. Hines, Duquesne, RB, Sr., 5-11, 225
Has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards three times to total 3,849 in his career (most among active players); 2016 STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award winner and three-time All-Northeast Conference first-team selection

Cade Johnson, South Dakota State, WR, R-Jr., 5-10, 175
Tied for FCS high and set school record with 17 touchdown receptions; set South Dakota State mark with 839 kick return yards in 2017

Noah Johnson, Alcorn State, QB, R-Sr., 6-0, 195
2018 SWAC offensive player of the year and championship game MVP; one of only two FCS quarterbacks with 2,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards in 2018 (Adams)

Reed Klubnik, Yale, WR, Sr., 6-3, 200
With a banner season in 2018, Klubnik ranked fifth in the FCS in receiving yards per game (114.3), catching 73 passes for 1,143 yards and nine touchdowns; also led the team in receptions in 2016

Jake Maier, UC Davis, QB, R-Sr., 6-0, 200
The Big Sky offensive player of the year led UC Davis to its best FCS season; passed for more yards (3,932) and touchdowns (34) than any returning player in the subdivision

Caylin Newton, Howard, QB, Jr., 6-0, 195
Dual-threat signal caller was named MEAC offensive player of the year as a sophomore; ranked seventh in the FCS in total offense (313.3 yards per game)

Bryce Nunnelly, Chattanooga, WR, Jr., 6-2, 190
All-Southern Conference standout ranked seventh nationally in receiving yards per game (112.5); had 11 receptions of at least 40 yards

Aaron Parker, Rhode Island, WR, Sr., 6-3, 191
All-CAA wideout has led URI in receiving yards and touchdown receptions in three straight seasons; had six games with at least 100 receiving yards and scored 11 times as a junior

Josh Pearson, Jacksonville State, WR, R-Sr., 6-4, 205
Was the FCS co-leader and set the school record with 17 touchdown receptions; All-OVC first-team honoree had 67 receptions for 1,123 yards

James Robinson, Illinois State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 220
Led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing (1,290 yards, 117.3 per game); rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in FBS win over Colorado State

Shane Simpson, Towson, RB/RS, R-Sr., 5-9, 200
Ranked second in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game in 2018 and sixth in 2016; two-time All-CAA first-team selection has 4,414 career all-purpose yards, ranking No. 1 among active players

Nathan Stewart, Sam Houston State, WR, Sr., 6-0 180
Has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three seasons; leads all active FCS players in receptions (182), receiving yards (3,715) and TD receptions (31)

Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State, TE, Sr., 6-3, 245
Flashed NFL potential with at least 125 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in back-to-back games against FBS opponents to open junior season; earned first-team All-Big Sky honors

Adam Trautman, Dayton, TE, R-Sr., 6-6, 253
Consistent pass-catching threat with NFL size has caught the attention of next-level scouts; enters final season with 108 career receptions for 1,379 yards and 17 touchdowns

De'Shawn Waller, Alcorn State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 210
All-SWAC newcomer of the year was eighth in the FCS in rushing yards per game (121.5); rushed for 177 yards and three TDs in SWAC championship game and 167 yards in Celebration Bowl

More players can join the watch list during the 2019 season. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the winner following the regular season.
Also this season, STATS will present the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
The complete Athlon Sports FCS Preseason All-American team can be found here. 
The complete Hero Sports FCS Preseason All-America teams can be found here.
The complete STATS FCS Preseason All-America team can be found here.