July 12, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lynn Ellis, Media Relations Director [email protected] or (713) 532-6907

2011 Rotary Official Watch List

Houston, Texas – July 12, 2011 – The Rotary Lombardi Award Committee has released the Official Watch List for the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award. This is the 42nd year that the Rotary Lombardi Award has named the nation’s college lineman of the year.

Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense of defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, and linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. All candidates also must be eligible to play college sports under the rules and regulations of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The candidates earned a place on the Official Watch List by earning All-American honors last season, by being named to their respective all-conference first team last season as selected by the conference’s head coaches, by being projected to be an All-American or first team all-conference player for the coming season, or by nomination approved by the nominations committee.

While the Watch List highlights those players who have already received national recognition, any Division IA player who meets the above requirements is eligible for consideration from the Rotary Lombardi Award Selection Committee. This committee is comprised of more than 500 members, including all past winners and finalists, all Division IA head coaches, and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List, intended as a reference tool for the Selection Committee, will be periodically updated and revised up to the first round of voting to determine the 12 Semifinalists for 2010.

Last year’s Rotary Lombardi Award winner, (Auburn), was drafted by the and Finalist Adrian Clayborn (Iowa) was drafted by the , both in the first round of the draft.

The 42nd Rotary Lombardi Award will be held on December 6-7, 2011 at Reliant Center, Houston, Texas. For more information on the two-day schedule of events and ticket opportunities, please visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org.

Benefiting the

2011 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List

Player Pos School Player Highlights

Mike Adams OT Ohio St. 1st Team All-Big 10, started all 13 games in 2010 OT Oklahoma St. 1st Team All-Big 12, 13 starts at tackle in 2010 Jeff Allen OT Illinois 2nd Team All-Big 10, 34 consecutive starts Alvin Bailey G Arkansas All-SEC freshman team in 2010, started 13 games Don Barclay OT W. Virginia 2nd Team All-Big East honors in 2010 OT SMU 1st Team All-CUSA, started all 39 games in his career Jake Bequette DE Arkansas 2nd Team All-SEC, led team with seven sacks in 2010 LB Florida St. Led the Seminoles in tackles for the past two seasons Mike Brewster C Ohio St. 1st Team All-Big 10, 3 year starter for the Buckeyes Tanner Brock LB TCU 1st Team All-MWC, led team in tackles with 106 Jaymes Brooks G Va. Tech 2nd Team All-ACC honors in 2010 Austin Brown DT Miami 2nd Team All-MAC, 27 solos, 10 tackles for loss (TFLs) Vince Browne DE Northwestern 2nd Team All-Big 10, led team with 7 sacks in 2010 LB Arizona St. 2nd Team All-Pac 10, led ASU with 90 tackles Ben Burkett C Northwestern Rimington Award watch list for 3rd straight year Miles Burris LB San Diego St. 1st Team All-MWC, led team with 80 tackles, 9.5 sacks Thomas Byrd C Boise St. 1st Team All-WAC, started 27 games in ’09 and ‘10 LB TCU 1st Team All-MWC, 2011 Rose Bowl Defensive MVP Audie Cole LB NC St. Led team in tackles in '09, 3rd on team with 86 in '10 Jonathan Cooper G N. Carolina 2nd Team All-ACC, 22 consecutive starts Quinton Coples DT N. Carolina 1st Team All-ACC, 3rd in the ACC with 10 sacks Jared Crick DT Nebraska 1st Team All-Big 12, RLA semi-finalist & 2nd team A-A Vinny Curry DE Marshall 1st Team All-CUSA, 5th in the nation with 12 sacks Andrew Datko OT Florida St. Four year starter, only missed three starts in career LB Nebraska 2nd Team AP A-A, 1st Team All-Big 12 Ja'Gared Davis LB SMU 1st Team All-CUSA, led team with 8 sacks and 15 TFLs Demario Davis LB Arkansas St. 1st Team All-Sun Belt, 63 tackles, 3.5 TFLs David DeCastro G Stanford 1st Team All-Pac 10, anchors OL that gave up 13 sacks Blake DeChristopher OT Va. Tech 2nd Team All-ACC, has made 37 career starts Joe Duhon G So. Miss. Honorable Men. All-CUSA, started 9 games in 2010 Lonnie Edwards G Texas Tech 1st Team All-Big 12, played in 13 games in 2010 Joe Flading OT Ohio 1st Team All-MAC, led team with 62 pancake blocks Joel Foreman G Michigan St. Honorable Men. All-Big 10, 36 career starts at guard DT Miami Rebounded from injury in 2009 with 12 TFLs Jerry Franklin LB Arkansas 2nd Team All-SEC, led the team with 95 tackles in 2010 Dalton Freeman C Clemson 22 consecutive starts at center, allowed only 2 sacks G/T Georgia Started 36 games at guard over the last 3 years Stephen Good G Oklahoma Recorded 81 knockdowns on 500 snaps last year Ben Habern C Oklahoma Honorable Men. All-Big 12, 14 starts at center Logan Harrell DT Fresno St. 1st Team All-WAC, led team with 10.5 sacks (14 TFLs)

Benefiting the

2011 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List

Dont’a Hightower LB Alabama 2nd Team All-SEC in 2010, 69 tackles Alex Hoffman G Cincinnati 2nd Team All-Big East, started all 13 games Jaye Howard DT Florida Played in 31 games, 66 career tackles and 15.5 TFLs Bruce Irvin DE W. Virginia 2nd Team All-Big East, 2nd in nation with 14 sacks Malik Jackson DE/DT Tennessee 2nd Team All-SEC, led Vols with 11 TFLs and 5 sacks Brandon Jenkins DE Florida St. 1st Team All-ACC, led the ACC with 13.5 sacks Tony Jerod-Eddie DL Texas A&M Played in all games since arrival in Aggieland OT Texas A&M Freshman A-A, started all 13 games Cam Johnson DT Virginia 3rd Team All-ACC, 53 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks DE Syracuse 2nd Team All-Big East, four sacks and 9.5 TFLs G Alabama 2nd Team All-SEC, 24 career starts at guard Ben Jones C Georgia 4th Team All-SEC, started 12 games in 2010 Matt Kalil OT USC 13 career starts at left tackle for USC Mychal Kendricks LB Cal. 2nd Team All-PAC 10, 8.5 sacks, 15 TFLs, 3 Jake Knott LB Iowa St. 2nd Team All-Big 12, 2nd in the Big 12 with 130 tackles Peter Konz C Wisconsin Honorable Men. All-Big 10, started 11 games LB Boston College 1st Team A-A and All-ACC, led nation in tackles Shaun Lewis LB Oklahoma St. Big 12 co-Freshman Defensive Player of the Year Travis Lewis LB Oklahoma 2nd Team All-Big 12, led the Sooners with 109 tackles Brandon Lindsey DE Pittsburgh 2nd Team All-Big East, led Panthers with 10 sacks Trent Mackey LB Tulane 2nd Team All-CUSA, led Green Wave with 124 tackles Brad Madison DL Missouri 2nd Team All-Big 12, 11 TFLs, 7.5 sacks Jonathan Martin OT Stanford 1st Team All-Pac 10, has 24 career starts for the Cardinal Mike Martin DT Michigan 2nd team All-Big 10, six TFLs in 2010 Chris Marve LB Vanderbilt 2nd Team All-SEC, led team with eight TFLs Jonathan Massaquoi DE Troy 1st Team All-Sun Belt, 4th in the nation with 13.5 sacks Matt McCants OT UAB 1st Team All-CUSA, 31 career starts Shea McClellin DE Boise St. 1st Team All-WAC, led Broncos with 9.5 sacks Marcus McGraw LB Houston 2nd Team All-CUSA, 156 tackles, 75 solo tackles Cameron Meredith DE Nebraska 2nd Team All-Big 12 in 2010, 64 tackles Carmen Messina LB New Mexico 2nd Team All-MWC, 1st in the MWC with 115 tackles Ryan Miller G Colorado Honorable Men. All-Big 12, 35 career starts in Big 12 Julian Miller DT W. Virginia Tied for team lead with 14 TFLs C Michigan 1st Team All-Big 10, started 13 games after 2009 injury Roosevelt Nix DE Kent St. 1st Team All-MAC, 20 TFLs and nine sacks Trevor Olson OT N. Illinois 1st Team All-MAC, NIU's Offensive lineman of the Year Kelechi Osemele OT Iowa St. Honorable Men. All-Big 12 ('10), 2nd Team Big 12 ('09) Donte Paige-Moss DE N. Carolina 2nd on the team with 7 sacks and 13.5 TFLs Corey Paredes LB Hawai'I 1st Team All-WAC, 14th in the nation with 151 tackles Nick Perry DE USC 12 career sacks in 10 starts, 7.5 TFLs, 25 tackles Moe Petrus C U Conn 2nd Team All-Big East, 39 career starts Nate Potter OT Boise St. 3rd Team AP A-A, 1st team All-WAC (2nd straight year)

Benefiting the

2011 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List

Tydreke Powell DT N. Carolina Captain as a junior, finished the season with 47 tackles Sean Progar DE N. Illinois 1st Team All-MAC, 10 TFLs and four sacks Kheeson Randall DL Texas Honorable Men. All-Big 12, 22 starts, 16 TFLs Taylor Reed LB SMU Led SMU with 145 tackles, finished 16th in the nation OT Iowa 2nd Team All-Big 10 honors, 21 consecutive starts Kendall Reyes DE U Conn 1st Team All-Big East, 10 TFLs Matt Reynolds OT BYU 2x 1st Team All-MWC selection, 39 career starts Travian Robertson DT S. Carolina 14 starts, finished the season with 10 TFLs Keenan Robinson LB Texas Honorable Men. All-Big 12, led in tackles with 106 Adrian Robinson DE Temple 1st Team All-MAC, 3.5 sacks for the Owls in 2010 Mike Ryan OT U Conn 1st Team All-Big East, 12 starts at right & left tackle Quentin Saulsberry G/C Miss. St. 37 career starts at tackle, center and guard JK Schaffer LB Cincinnati 2nd Team All-Big East, two straight 100+ tackle seasons Mitchell Schwartz OT Cal 2nd Team All-Pac 10, fixture for Cal's OL, 38 starts Mychall Sisson LB Colorado St. 2nd Team All-MWC in 2010, 38.5 career TFLs Shayne Skov LB Stanford Honorable Men. All-Pac 10, led team with 84 stops Jacquies Smith DE Missouri 2nd Team All-Big 12, 5.5 sacks in 2010 Bradley Sowell OT Ole Miss 2nd Team All-SEC, started 24 of last 25 games LB Miami 2nd Team All-ACC, 111 tackles in 2010 Andrew Sweat LB Ohio St. 41 tackles in 2010, 1 Alameda Ta'amu DT Washington Honorable Men. All-Pac 10, five TFLs in 2010 Bruce Taylor LB Virginia Tech 2nd Team All-ACC, 15.5 TFLs, 91 total stops Devin Taylor DE South Carolina 1st Team All-SEC, led the Gamecocks with 13 TFLs Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame 21 tackles against Stanford, 133 tackles in 2010 Taylor Thompson DE SMU 1st Team All-CUSA, 2nd on team with 5.5 sacks Chris Thompson C Houston 1st Team All-CUSA, 37 starts at G and T, moved to C Danny Trevathan LB Kentucky 1st Team All-SEC, led the SEC with 144 tackles Jabaree Tuani DE Navy Led the Midshipmen with 15.5 TFLs in 2010 Courtney Upshaw DE/LB Alabama Led the Crimson Tide with 7 sacks and 14.5 TFLs Joe Vellano DT Maryland 2nd Team All-ACC, 10.5 TFLs William Vlachos C Alabama 2nd Team All-SEC, started 27 straight games at center Bobby Wagner LB Utah St. 1st Team All-WAC, 7th in nation with 133 tackles Chaz Walker LB Utah 2nd Team All-MWC, 74 tackles in 2010 Larry Warford G Kentucky 2nd Team All-SEC, started all 13 games at right guard G Miami 1st Team All-ACC, leader of experienced line in Miami Scott Wedige C N. Illinois 1st Team All-MAC, started all 13 games in 2010 Sean Westgate LB UCLA Honorable Men. All-PAC 10, 90 tackles, 11 TFLs Garrick Williams LB Texas A&M Honorable Men. All-Big 12, 112 tackles in 2010 Korey Williams LB So. Miss Led So. Miss in tackles with 92 and TFLs with 14.5 Billy Winn DT Boise St. 2x 2nd Team All-WAC, 9.5 TFLs in 2010 DT Michigan St. 26 career games, 77 tackles, 17 TFLs, 8.5 sacks

Benefiting the

Carson York G Oregon Honorable Men. All-Pac 10, started all 13 games at G G Wisconsin Honorable Men. All-Big 10, played in all 13 games

National Awards Association

The Rotary Lombardi Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, ncfaa.org.

Benefiting the