Four Big 12 student-athletes have been named to the 2011 Paul Hornung Award Watch List, an award given annually to the most versatile player in college football.

Kansas’ Bradley McDougald, Oklahoma State’s Joseph Randle, Texas A&M’s Cyrus Gray and Texas Tech’s Eric Stephens are among the 50 players placed on the list.

McDougald, a junior safety for the Jayhawks, has played in every game in his two years on the team. He tied for third on the team in 2010 with 19 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown.

Randle is one of nine sophomores placed on the watch list. The running back finished last season second for the Cowboys in rushing, fourth in receiving, second in kick returns and seventh in scoring.

Senior running back Gray was placed to this year’s Preseason All-Big 12 squad. He’s also claimed a spot on the Doak Walker Award and Maxwell Award watch lists. Gray is the Big 12’s leading returning rusher.

Junior Red Raider Stephens boasts six school records and finished 2010 ranked second in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game (150.1) and third in kickoff return average (24.3). Stephens was named to the 2010 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Team.

Created by the Louisville Sports Commission, the Paul Hornung Award recognizes versatile, high-level performers in college football. The award is designed to promote college football and help preserve the legacy of Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame and NFL MVP for the Green Bay Packers. 

The 2011 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on 2010 statistics and expectations heading into the 2011 season. A national selection committee, comprised of 16 national sports journalists and former college and NFL players, votes for the award winner, and this year, fan voting on Facebook will comprise the 17th vote. Finalists will be announced on www.paulhornungaward.com and at the Louisville Sports Commission Breakfast on Dec. 9. The winner will be selected in early January following the bowl season.