New Palestine running back and Indiana walk-on commit Charlie Spegal has won the IndyStar 2019 Mr. Football Award, the publication announced Thursday afternoon.
New Palestine running back and Indiana walk-on commit Charlie Spegal has won the IndyStar 2019 Mr. Football Award, the publication announced Thursday afternoon.
Indiana signees Ty Wise (third) and Randy Holtz (sixth) were included as well.
Spegal earned 608 of 788 votes in a landslide victory. Wise received 22 votes, and Holtz earned 19.
The New Palestine running back is Indiana's all-time leading rusher after recording 10,867 yards on the ground, and his 173 rushing touchdowns are more than any player in the state's history as well. According to the Indianapolis Star, he broke the previous career rushing mark by 2,757 yards.
In 2019, he rushed for 3,168 yards (9.6 yards per carry) and 55 touchdowns.
He guided New Palestine toward a Class 5A state title and rushed for 160 yards and a touchdown against Valparaiso in the championship. In the semi-state game agains tBloomington South, Spegal ran for 277 yards and four touchdowns.
Spegal accepted a preferred walk-on offer from Indiana on Dec. 8 after an in-home visit from IU running back coach Mike Hart. His only scholarship offers came from Army and Indiana State, and he had another preferred walk-on scholarship from Tennessee and interest from Ball State.
"I’ve always been an IU fan, and I can see something special happening at IU," Spegal told TheHoosier.com. "It’s something I want to be a part of."
He will get to Bloomington in the summer to earn a spot on the roster and, potentially, a scholarship.
Pioneer two-way star and current Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser won the award last year. In the award's 27-year history, only five winners have played at Indiana, the most recent being Ben Davis star quarterback and current Indiana cornerback Reese Taylor.
Eight winners have gone on to play in the NFL.
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