In Brief : Sanders Wins Maxwell Award

Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders was named winner today of the 52nd annual Maxwell Award as America’s outstanding collegiate football player of the year.

Selection chairman Dick Vermeil, ABC television college football commentator and former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, made the announcement.

The 5-foot, 8-inch, 195-pound Sanders rushed for 2,628 yards and scored 39 touchdowns in leading Oklahoma State to a 9-2 record and a Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl berth against Wyoming.

Balloting for the award included Robert W. Maxwell Memorial Football Club members, the American College Football Writers Assn., Philadelphia-area media members and the 907 NCAA-member universities and colleges that have football programs.

Sanders had nearly four times as many first-place votes and nearly twice as many total points as runner-up Rodney Peete, quarterback at USC. Quarterbacks Troy Aikman of UCLA, Steve Walsh of Miami and Major Harris of West Virginia rounded out the top five.