RICHMOND, Ky. – EKU quarterback Parker McKinney is one of 30 finalists for the Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the national offensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
 
The Payton Award, which was first presented in 1987 and in its 36th season, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, its past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.
 
A national media panel will select the Payton Award winner, with voting based on the regular season. The recipient will be announced at the FCS National Awards banquet on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas – on the eve of the national championship game.
 
McKinney, who will lead the Colonels through the first round of the FCS Playoffs at home against Gardner-Webb this Saturday, ranks in the top-10 of nine different FCS statistical categories. The redshirt-junior is third nationally in passing yards (3,502), passing yards per game (318.4), and total offense per game (352.2). 
 
This season, McKinney has rewritten the EKU record book, breaking nine different records. He is EKU's career leader in pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and total offense, and holds the single-season records for pass completions, pass attempts, passing touchdowns, and passing yards. His 89 career touchdowns are fifth all-time among active NCAA FCS players. 
 
With 41 total games of experience, he is 15-5 in his last 20 starts against FCS opponents and has helped EKU score at least 40 points in six different games over the past two seasons. He has tallied 9,264 passing yards, 69 touchdown passes, 1,464 yards rushing, and 20 rushing touchdowns as a Colonel

McKinney has thrown for over 300 yards in eight different games this season and has accounted for over 400 yards of offense in three separate contests. He has a pair of games in which he threw five touchdowns without an interception and has run for a touchdown in five games. In his career he has completed 62.7 percent of his passes (779-of-1243). 
 
The Coalfield, Tenn., native has thrown multiple touchdowns in 21 games during his EKU career has tossed at least one touchdown in 16 of his last 17 outings. He is the only player in EKU football history to account for over 10,000 yards of offense in his career. 
 
McKinney helped lead the Colonels to a 7-4 record in 2021, marking the biggest single-season turnaround in program history and was instrumental in guiding EKU to its first postseason appearance in eight years in 2022. 
 
In just two seasons in the ASUN, McKinney has been named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week seven times.