Courtesy of the Rotary Lombardi Award
HOUSTON - The Rotary Lombardi Award Committee has released the Official Watch List for the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award.
Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.
The candidates earned a place on the official watch list by earning All-American honors, by being named to their respective all-conference first teams as selected by the conference’s head coaches or by nomination sent to and reviewed by the nominations committee.
While the Watch List highlights those players who have already received national recognition, any Division 1 player who meets the requirements is eligible for consideration from the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee. This committee is comprised of more than 500 members, including all past winners and finalists, all Division 1-A head coaches and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
The Rotary Lombardi Watch List, intended as a reference tool for the Selection Committee, will be periodically updated and revised through the conclusion of the voting to determine the 12 semifinalists for 2010.
Last year’s Rotary Lombardi Award winner, Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska) was drafted by the Detroit Lions, and finalists Gerald McCoy (OU) by Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jerry Hughes by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the NFL Draft.
The 41st Rotary Lombardi Award will be held December 7- 8, 2010, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. For more information on the two-day schedule of events, please visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org.
2010 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List
Player Pos. School Player Highlights
Sam Acho DE Texas HM all-Big 12, 10 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss (TFL)
Pierre Allen DE Nebraska Started all 14 games at DE, 51 tackles and five sacks
Marvin Austin DT UNC Second team all-ACC, 42 tackles and 4 sacks
Akeem Ayers LB UCLA Dynamic play maker, HM all-Pac 10, 3 Def. TDs & 14.5 TFL
Allen Bailey DT/DE Miami First team all-ACC, 4th in ACC in sacks per game
Jeff Battipaglia OT Navy Started all 13 games - led Navy rush attack to #4 ranking
Jeremy Beal DE Oklahoma Hendricks Award finalist, Third team All-American - 11 sacks
Chase Beeler C Stanford Second team all-Pac 10 selection for 8-5 Cardinal
Nick Bellore LB Cent. Mich. First team all-MAC, 132 tackles and 13 tackles for a loss
Broderick Binns DE Iowa Honorable mention all-Big Ten, 6.5 sacks and 10 TFL
Clint Boling OT Georgia Second team all-SEC selection at tackle
Justin Boren G Ohio State First team all-Big Ten guard (media)/Second team (coaches)
Chris Borland LB Wisconsin Big Ten Freshman of the Year, HM all-Big Ten
Da’Quan Bowers DE Clemson Projected to be #1 ranked DE in 2011 Draft, 3 sacks in 2009
Vontaze Burfict LB Ariz. State Sun Devils’ Human Highlight reel, Pac 10 Def. Freshman of the Year
Marcus Cannon OT TCU First team All-MWC - didn’t allow one sack in 2009
Tank Carder LB TCU Second team all-MWC, 89 tackles and 10 TFL
Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin First team all-Big Ten tackle (media)/Second team (coaches)
James Carpenter OT Alabama Started all 14 games at left tackle for national champions
Bruce Carter LB UNC Second team all-ACC, led the nation with 5 blocked kicks
Jurrell Casey DT USC Honorable mention all-Pac 10, 4.5 sacks and 9 TFL
Anthony Castonzo OT Boston Col. First team all-ACC at tackle in 2009
Ugo Chinasa DE Ok. State Honorable mention all-Big 12, 6.5 sacks and 10 TFL
Adrian Clayborn DE Iowa 2010 Orange Bowl Defensive MVP, First team all-Big 10
Jared Crick DT Nebraska First Team All Conference 32 sacks and 67 tackles for loss.
Wayne Daniels DE TCU Second team all-MWC, 5.5 sacks and 9 TFL
Marcell Dareus DT Alabama 2010 BCS National Championship Game Def. MVP
Grant Fleming LB LA-Layafette Preseason All-Sun Belt selection, will be a four-year starter
Chris Galippo LB USC Honorable mention all-Pac 10, 70 tackles and 8 TFL
Cameron HeywardDT/DE Ohio State Second team all-Big Ten, led Buckeyes with 7.5 sacks
Mark Herzlich LB Boston Col Sat out 2009 following cancer treatments - all-ACC in 2008
Dont’a Hightower LB Alabama Injured in 2009 - played in only 4 games
Kyle Hix OT Texas Honorable Mention all Big 12 Selection
Ross Homan LB Ohio State Second team all-Big 10 (media and coaches)
Justin Houston DE Georgia Second team all-SEC, 7.5 sacks and 15 TFLs (led team)
Rodney Hudson G Fl. State First team all-ACC, Awarded ACC Jacobs Trophy (best blocker)
Nate Irving LB NC State Injured in 2009, missed the entire season
Ethan Johnson DE Notre Dame Led the Irish with 4 sacks, moves out to DE in 2010
Greg Jones LB Mich. State First team all-Big Ten after 154 tackle season (3rd in nation)
Lance Kendricks TE Wisconsin 29 receptions for 356 yards and 3 TDs,
Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue First team all-Big Ten (media)/Second team (coaches) - 13 sacks
Jake Kirkpatrick C TCU One of six finalists for Rimington Trophy (best center) in 2009
Luke Kuechly LB Boston Col. ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, First team all-ACC
Travis Lewis LB Oklahoma First team All-Big 12, 109 tackles and 9.5 TFL
DeMarcus Love OT Arkansas 13 starts at tackle for top scoring offense in SEC
Jonathan Martin OT Stanford As freshman, started 11 games, leading way for Toby Gerhart
Casey Matthews LB Oregon Second team all-Pac 10, second on team with 81 tackles
Cliff Matthews DE South Car. Second team all-SEC, 7 sacks & 10 TFL, named captain as junior
Marcus McGraw LB Houston Fifth in the nation with 156 tackles (11.1 per game)
Josh McNary DE Army Second in the nation in 2009 with 22.5 tackles for a loss
Pernell McPhee DE Miss. State Second team all-SEC in 2009, first year in SEC
Bruce Miller DE UCF CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, had 13 sacks
Julian Miller DE West Virg 13 starts, 4th in the Big East in sacks
Von Miller OLB Texas A&M First team all-Big 12, led the nation in sacks with 17
Scott Mitchell OT Rice Second team All-CUSA selection in 2009 John Moffitt G Wisconsin First team all-Big Ten, started at both left guard and center
Mike Mohamed LB Cal First team all-Pac 10, led Pac 10 with 112 tackles
Derek Newton OL Ark State only ASU offensive lineman to start every game in 2009
Kris O’Dowd C USC 2009 pre-season All-American selection but only played in 8 games
Stephen Paea DT Oregon St. Co-recipient of Morris Trophy - Pac 10’s Top Def. Lineman
Jason Pinkston OT Pitt One of the top tackles in the 2011 Draft class, 28 career starts
Mike Pouncey G Florida Moves to C to replace brother, 17 career starts, HM all-SEC
Nate Potter OT Boise State First team all-WAC for 14-0 Broncos
Jerrell Powe DT Ole Miss Led the Rebels with 12 TFL and had 3 sacks
Ryan Pugh C Auburn Second team all-SEC selection in 2009, 31 career starts
Robert Quinn DE UNC First team all-ACC honors in 2009
Matt Reynolds OT BYU First team all-MWC starting all 13 games at left tackle
Barquell Rivers LB Va. Tech Recorded 89 tackles last season in first as starter
Greg Romeus DE Pitt Big East Co-Def. Player of the Year, Hendricks Award finalist
Kenny Rowe DE Oregon Honorable mention all-Pac 10, led Pac 10 with 11.5 sacks
Kyle Rudolph TE Notre Dame 33 receptions for 364 yards and 3 TDs in ten games
Weslye Saunders TE South Car. 32 receptions for 353 yards and 3 TDs
Kelvin Sheppard LB LSU Led LSU with 103 tackles (third in SEC)
Derek Sherrod OT Mississip St 12 starts, helped led Bulldogs SEC-league leading running game
Derrell Smith LB Syracuse All-BIG EAST Second Team selection who started all 10 games Quan Sturdivant LB UNC First team all-ACC in 2009, led Tar Heels with 79 tackles
Nate Solder OT Colorado First team all-Big 12, only Buffalo to earn first team honors
Manti Te’o LB Notre Dame Registered 63 tackles in true freshman season
J.T. Thomas LB West Va. First team all-Big East, registered 76 tackles
Bo Thran G Oregon Honorable mention all-Pac 10, started 12 games at LT
Jabaree Tuani DE Navy 13 starts in 2009, 54 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss Danny Watkins OT Baylor One of four BU returnees who started all 12 games in 2009
Ryan Winterswyk DE Boise State Two time first team All-WAC selection, 9 sacks in 2009
Lawrence Wilson LB Connecticut First team all-Big East, led conference with 140 tackles
Stefen Wisniewski C Penn State First team all-Big Ten selection at center
Alex Wujciak LB Maryland First team all-ACC in 2009, eighth in nation in tackles with 131
Lee Ziemba OT Auburn Second team all-SEC (coaches), has 38 consecutive starts