PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (Sports Network) - The race for the 2011 Walter Payton Award, sponsored by Fathead.com, kicked off Monday with The Sports Network's announcement that six returning finalists from last season headline a stellar 20-player Watch List for the Football Championship Subdivision's top individual honor.

University of Northern Iowa senior quarterback Tirrell Rennie is among the 20 players on the Walter Payton Watch List. Rennie is coming off the 2010 season in which he rushed for a team-best 1,291 yards and 15 touchdowns. Rennie also passed for 1,543 yards and eight touchdowns. Rennie helped lead the Panthers to a Missouri Valley Football Conference title in 2010 and a spot in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

The Payton Award will celebrate its 25th anniversary this season and be presented to the FCS' outstanding player at the national awards banquet Thursday night, Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas.

This season's winner will join a list of Payton Award greats such as Steve McNair, John Friesz, Brian Westbrook, Tony Romo, Brian Finneran, Armanti Edwards and 2010 winner Jeremy Moses of Stephen F. Austin.

Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Presley joined Moses at the national awards banquet as the third-place finalist and returns to the Watch List as a senior. Also returning, presumably headed to banner seasons again, are Colgate sophomore running back Nate Eachus, who was sixth; Montana State sophomore quarterback DeNarius McGhee, who was seventh; Jackson State senior quarterback Casey Therriault, who was ninth; Liberty senior quarterback Mike Brown, who was 11th; and Wofford junior fullback Eric Breitenstein, who was 19th.

The 2011 Watch List includes 11 quarterbacks. The other seven are seniors B.J. Coleman of Chattanooga, Josh McGregor of Jacksonville, Bo Levi Mitchell of reigning FCS champion Eastern Washington and Tirrell Rennie of UNI, and juniors Casey Brockman of Murray State, Thomas DeMarco of Old Dominion and Brad Sorensen of Southern Utah.

Joining Eachus and Breitenstein in the backfield are senior running backs Jonathan Grimes of William & Mary, Mike Mayhew of North Carolina A&T and D.J. McNorton of North Dakota State, as well as junior Jamaine Cook of Youngstown State and sophomore Andrew Pierce of Delaware.

The Watch List also includes two wide receivers, Liberty senior Chris Summers and Eastern Washington junior Brandon Kaufman.

The Payton Award Watch List will undergo revision during the 2011 season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 21. Three finalists will be announced on Dec. 1 and invited to The Sports Network/Fathead FCS Awards Presentation.

The Sports Network also presents the Buck Buchanan, Jerry Rice and Eddie Robinson awards which are sponsored by Fathead.com. The Buchanan Award honors the FCS defensive player of the year, the new Rice Award goes to the FCS freshman of the year and the Robinson Award, which also is celebrating its 25th anniversary, honors the FCS coach of the year. Those three winners will join the top three Payton finalists at the national awards banquet.