 After sitting out all of 2002 for personal reasons, Branch led all of Division I football with 168.8 rushing yards and 12.5 points per game in 2003, setting NCAA records for yards (2,026), touchdowns (25), rushes (338), 100-yard games (11), and consecutive 100-yard games (11).He received the 2003 Walter Payton Award, given annually by The Sports Network.com to the best player in Division I-AA football.It is widely considered to be the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for Division I-A.