CHICAGO, Ill. — After leading the FCS in receiving and moving up in the Eastern Washington football record books,
Efton Chism III is honored as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, presented by Stats Perform. The Walter Payton Award honors the top offensive player in the FCS and Chism is one of 35 finalists.
The winner is selected by a national voting panel and will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
Chism led the FCS this season with 120 receptions and 1311 receiving yards, while leading the Big Sky and ranking third in the nation with 13 receiving touchdowns. His yards total ranks 10th in EWU history for a single season, while the touchdowns are tied for 10th. Chism averaged 10.0 receptions per game, a mark second only to Cooper Kupp in 2016 (10.63).
In Eastern's final game against Northern Arizona, Chism caught a pass for his 53rd consecutive game, breaking Kupp's FCS and EWU record. Chism's 120 receptions also broke Kupp's Eastern record for a single season and ranks fourth all-time in FCS history. His record breaking catch was a 67 yard touchdown catch-and-run, a career-long for the senior.
The final career numbers for Chism include 346 catches, 3852 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns, averaging 6.53 receptions per game. The Monroe, Wash. native's receptions and receptions per game rank second behind Kupp in Eagle history, while his yardage ranks third and his touchdowns rank fourth.
Chism had 12, 100 yard-plus receiving games in his career, with six games in 2024. He had eight career games with 10-plus receptions, with six this season.
Outside of receiving, Chism had 56 punt returns - fourth in EWU history - for 257 yards in his career in Cheney.
Chism is one of four Big Sky players included among the 35 finalists. He is joined on the list by UC Davis' quarterback Miles Hastings and running back Lan Larison, along with Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott.
About the Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton award is in its 38th season and affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.All 13 FCS conferences are represented by a finalist.
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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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