FWAA, Armed Forces Bowl join to create new award July 2012 Vol. 50, No. 2 The Football Writers Association of involved with the Football Writers Asso- Inside this issue: America has joined with the Bell Heli- ciation of America by jointly initiating copter Armed Forces Bowl to initiate our award to recognize the achieve- the Armed Forces Merit ments of an individual or Executive director’s Award. It honors an individual group from the realm of 2 or a group within the realm of football that has successful- column the sport of football that has ly produced a program to created, developed or pro- benefit our country’s armed duced a program that pro- forces” said Brant B. vides care, concern and sup- Ringler, executive director port for past or present mem- Bronko Nagurski of the Bell Helicopter Armed 3 bers of the United States Forces Bowl. watch list armed forces or their families. “There are numerous indi- The Armed Forces Merit viduals and groups in our Award will be awarded for the country that have devoted a first time before the playing of lot of time, energy and fi- the 2012 Bell Helicopter nancial backing to support News and notes from Armed Forces Bowl. Nomina- programs associated with 4 tions for the Armed Forces the armed forces and their around the FWAA Merit Award will be accepted families,” said Steve Rich- this summer with the selec- ardson, executive director tion process beginning in Oc- of the FWAA. “By teaming tober. The inaugural recipient with the Bell Helicopter will be announced in Novem- Armed Forces Bowl, the ber on Veteran’s Day. FWAA will help recognize Key dates on the 5 The 10th annual Bell Helicopter these groups or people. Within the FWAA calendar Armed Forces Bowl will be played on FWAA, we also have members who Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, featuring have military backgrounds, either as schools from Conference USA and the enlisted men or with relatives who have Mountain West Conference. Kickoff is served this country. Additionally, this set for 10:45 a.m. (CST) at the newly will be meaningful to them." renovated 45,000-seat Amon G. Carter The Armed Forces Merit Award will Outland Trophy watch 6 Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The be selected by a panel of individuals list game will air on ESPN and ESPN Ra- from the Football Writers Association of dio. America and the Bell Helicopter Armed “We are excited to become more (Continued on page 5) Page 2 THE FIFTH DOWN President Lenn Robbins New York Post Executive director’s column First Vice President Chris Dufrense On the evening after our late, long-time executive director) Los Angeles Times of July 21, the since it started in the mid-1990s. FWAA is involved in Since that time, the FWAA has given Second Vice President Kirk Bohls a very important away thousands of dollars over the years Austin American-Statesman ceremony. Long- to deserving students. Sittler, the 2001 time FWAA member FWAA president and a member since Board of Directors Dave Sittler will re- 1973, first proposed the idea of the Volney ceive the Bert Meece Scholarship. He has been the only Lee Barfknect McGrane Award in selection chairman the award has known. Omaha World Herald South Bend, Indi- The annual $1,000 grant, which has been Vahe Gregorian ana. awarded since 1997 and is renewable for St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sittler’s name will up to four years, is given to a deserving Greg Wallace follow 38 others son or daughter of an FWAA member. Anderson (S.C.) Independent STEVE -Mail who already have His administration of that program in Jimmy Burch RICHARDSON their names on a itself would be enough to warrant the Fort Worth Star-Telegram large plaque in the McGrane for Sittler. But Matt Sign rotunda of the Col- the fact that he has been National Football Foundation lege Football Hall of Fame. an always steady and Malcolm Moran Current FWAA president Lenn Robbins sometimes relentless Knight Foundation of the New York Post will handle the journalist over the years Eric Schmoldt presentation. is an added bonus. Caspar Star-Tribune Since the South Bend Hall is sched- Sittler grew up in Ne- Jon Gold uled to close this fall, this will be the last braska and was raised Los Angeles Daily News time the winner of our Bert McGrane on Bob Devaney, but John Silver Award will be saluted there. The National much of his Nebraska Manchester Journal Inquirer Football Foundation has plans to move Dave Sittler career covered Tom Os- John Wagner the Hall to Atlanta and re-open it in the fall borne. That could be Toledo Blade of 2014. The FWAA will continue to be worth one book, dealing with those con- Lee Feinswog part of the College Football Hall of Fame trasting personalities. Then later, he had NCAA.com enshrinement program as it makes the another dose of contrasts in Barry Switzer Tom Kensler transition to Atlanta and home there. and ultimately Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. Denver Post Along with countless boxes of other I think I can say this over the years: Mike Huguenin rivals.com memorabilia, our plaque will make the trip Dave was not always the most popular Kelly Lyell to the Southeast in one of five large person in either Nebraska or Oklahoma. Fort Collins Coloradoan trucks. The McGrane Award, symbolic of Nor should he have been. He had the Iliana Limon the association's Hall of Fame, is present- gumption to challenge the legends when Orlando Sentinel ed to an FWAA member who has per- they needed to be challenged, praised Wally Hall formed great service to the organization or them when they needed to be praised, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette the writing profession. It is named after and stayed neutral when he needed to be Brett McMurphy McGrane, a Des Moines, Iowa, writer who neutral. The latter quality is something cbssports.com was the executive secretary of the FWAA many younger journalists should take from the early 1940s until 1973. note. Ex-Officio Sittler’s acceptance of the Bert Dave never stirred up news or made McGrane Award will coincide with his re- the headlines about himself. He covered Joe Hornstein tirement year. Dave, 66, stepped down as the news in a professional manner. Too Florida International a full-time columnist at the Tulsa World many times, Dave stayed long into the John Paquette Big East-BCS this past winter. He hopes to write occa- night in press boxes helping or waiting for Charles Bloom sional columns and also appear on a radio fellow workers to finish. He did his job SEC talk show in the area. But an end to an and probably that of some others during era in Oklahoma sports is occurring at the his stints in Nebraska and Oklahoma. I paper. think all of those people had respect for Dave also has been the face of our Dave and the job he did. I know I did. Volney Meece Award program (so named (Continued on page 5) THE FIFTH DOWN Page 3 FWAA lists players to watch for Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Football Writers Association of America has an- will be revealed on Dec. 3 during a gala sports banquet nounced its annual Bronko Nagurski watch list for the that will be hosted by the Charlotte Touchdown Club at 2012 season. There were 84 players on the initial list the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. that highlights the top defenders in college football for The FWAA has named a Defensive Player of the this upcoming season. Year since the 1993, when Arizona’s Rob Waldrop Players from the Southeastern, Big 12, Big Ten, Pa- claimed the award. This will be the 20th anniversary of cific 12 and Atlantic Coast conferences dominated the the award. Last year, Boston College linebacker Luke field of candidates. The players were pretty equally divid- Kuechly claimed the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. ed among linemen, linebackers and defensive backs. A player can be added or deleted from the list as the The FWAA will name a Defensive Player of the Week season progresses. An appearance on the list is not a during the regular season. Five finalists for the Bronko pre-requisite for being named a finalist or winning the Nagurski Trophy will be named on Nov. 15. The winner award. Defensive Linemen Linebackers Safeties Jesse Williams, Alabama A.J. Klein, Iowa St Dexter McCoil, Tulsa John Jenkins, Georgia Andrew Jackson, WKU Eric Reid, LSU Arthur Brown, Kansas St Hakeem Smith, Louisville Defensive Ends Bruce Taylor, Virginia Tech Jarred Holley, Pittsburgh Alex Okafor, Texas Chase Thomas, Stanford John Boyett, Oregon Barkevious Mingo, LSU Chris Borland, Wisconsin Jordan Kovacs, Michigan Bjoern Werner, Florida St C.J. Mosley, Alabama Kenny Vaccaro, Texas Brandon Jenkins, Florida St Dion Bailey, USC Lamarcus Joyner, Florida St Corey Lemonier, Auburn Dwayne Woods, Bowling Green Matt Elam, Florida Devin Taylor, South Carolina Gerald Hodges, Penn St Robert Lester, Alabama Dion Jordan, Oregon Jake Knott, Iowa St T.J. McDonald, USC Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas Jamie Collins, Southern Miss Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma Jadeveon Clowney, South Car- Jarvis Jones, Georgia olina Jonathan Brown, Illinois Cornerbacks John Simon, Ohio St Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston Col- Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma St Kapron Lewis-Moore, Notre lege Carrington Byndom, Texas Dame Kevin Reddick, North Carolina David Amerson, NC State Michael Buchanan, Illinois Khalil Mack, Buffalo Dee Milliner, Alabama Sam Montgomery, LSU Khaseem Greene, Rutgers Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma Stansly Maponga, TCU Kyle Van Noy, BYU Johnny Adams, Michigan St Travis Johnson, San Jose St Manti Te'o, Notre Dame Johnthan Banks, Mississippi St Trevardo Williams, Connecticut Max Bullough, Michigan St Jordan Poyer, Oregon St William Gholston, Michigan St Mike Taylor, Wisconsin Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech Nico Johnson, Alabama Leon McFadden, San Diego St Defensive Tackles Sean Porter, Texas A&M Micah Hyde, Iowa Joe Vellano , Maryland Shayne Skov, Stanford Nickell Robey, USC Johnathan Hankins, Ohio St Steve Greer, Virginia Nigel Malone, Kansas St Kawann Short, Purdue Tom Wort, Oklahoma Ricardo Allen, Purdue Rob Lohr, Vanderbilt Travis Brown, Fresno St Tyrann Mathieu, LSU Roosevelt Nix, Kent St Travis Long, Washington St Xavier Rhodes, Florida St Sharrif Floyd, Florida Trent Mackey, Tulane Star Lotulelei, Utah Page 4 THE FIFTH DOWN News and Notes: Catching up with FWAA members, events athletics director for communications.