4 Mustangs On 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Four Mustangs On 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List
Beachum, Davis, Reed, Thompson Honored

July 12, 2011

HOUSTON (SMU) - SMU Mustangs Kelvin Beachum, Ja'Gared Davis, Taylor Reed and Taylor Thompson have been named to the Official Watch List for the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award Committee announced today. With four nominees, SMU tied with Alabama, Boise State, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina for the most players on the list.

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 father than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. This is the 42nd year that the Rotary Lombardi Award has named the nation's college lineman of the year.

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.

Beachum, a Mexia native, has started every game since for SMU over the past three seasons, twice earning All-C-USA honors. In 2011, Beachum blocked for an offense that totaled a school-record 3,861 passing yards and added 1,943 yards on the ground.

Davis started 13 games in 2010 and saw action in all 14. The Crockett, Texas, native was named first-team Conference USA and was tabbed a CollegeFootballNews.com honorable mention All-American. He totaled 90 tackles, including 62 solos, and amassed nine sacks and 16 TFLs on the season.

Reed started all 14 games and was named All-Conference USA honorable mention in 2011. He posted 145 tackles (seventh highest total in the NCAA), averaging 10.4 tackles per game. The Beaumont native posted double-digit tackle totals in seven games.

Thompson, a native of Prosper, Texas, started in all 14 games last season and was named All-Conference USA First Team. An anchor in SMU's 3-4 defense, he posted 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and three QB hurries on the season.

The 42nd Rotary Lombardi Award will be held on December 6-7, 2011 at Reliant Center in Houston, Texas.

This continues a string of Mustangs on pre-season award Watch Lists. So far, Beachum has been named to the Outland List, Thompson has made the Nagurski Award List, Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson were named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Zach Line was named to the Watch List for the Maxwell Award, Thompson And Margus Hunt were selected to the Pony Express Award Watch List and Blake McJunkin was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List.

SMU opens the season Sept. 4 at Texas A&M.

2011 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List
Player, School, Pos
Mike Adams, Ohio St., OT
Levy Adcock, Oklahoma St., OT
Jeff Allen, Illinois, OT
Alvin Bailey, Arkansas, G
Don Barclay, W. Virginia, OT
Kelvin Beachum, SMU, OT
Jake Bequette, Arkansas, DE
Nigel Bradham, Florida St., LB
Mike Brewster, Ohio St., C
Tanner Brock, TCU, LB
Jaymes Brooks, Va. Tech, G
Austin Brown, Miami, DT
Vince Browne, Northwestern, DE
Vontaze Burfict, Arizona St., LB
Ben Burkett, Northwestern, C
Miles Burris, San Diego St., LB
Thomas Byrd, Boise St., C
Tank Carder, TCU, LB
Audie Cole, NC St., LB
Jonathan Cooper, N. Carolina, G
Quinton Coples, N. Carolina, DT
Jared Crick, Nebraska, DT
Vinny Curry, Marshall, DE
Andrew Datko, Florida St., OT
Lavonte David, Nebraska, LB
Ja'Gared Davis, SMU, LB
Demario Davis, Arkansas St., LB
David DeCastro, Stanford, G
Blake DeChristopher, Va. Tech, OT
Joe Duhon, So. Miss., G
Lonnie Edwards, Texas Tech, G
Joe Flading, Ohio, OT
Joel Foreman, Michigan St., G
Marcus Forston, Miami, DT
Jerry Franklin, Arkansas, LB
Dalton Freeman, Clemson, C
Cordy Glenn, Georgia, G/T
Stephen Good, Oklahoma, G
Ben Habern, Oklahoma, C
Logan Harrell, Fresno St., DT
Dont'a Hightower, Alabama, LB
Alex Hoffman, Cincinnati, G
Jaye Howard, Florida, DT
Bruce Irvin, W. Virginia, DE
Malik Jackson, Tennessee, DE/DT
Brandon Jenkins, Florida St., DE
Tony Jerod-Eddie, Texas A&M, DL
Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M, OT
Cam Johnson, Virginia, DT
Chandler Jones, Syracuse, DE
Barrett Jones, Alabama, G
Ben Jones, Georgia, C
Matt Kalil, USC, OT
Mychal Kendricks, Cal., LB
Jake Knott, Iowa St., LB
Peter Konz, Wisconsin, C
Luke Kuechly, Boston College, LB
Shaun Lewis, Oklahoma St., LB
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, LB
Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh, DE
Trent Mackey, Tulane, LB
Brad Madison, Missouri, DL
Jonathan Martin, Stanford, OT
Mike Martin, Michigan, DT
Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, LB
Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy, DE
Matt McCants, UAB, OT
Shea McClellin, Boise St., DE
Marcus McGraw, Houston, LB
Cameron Meredith, Nebraska, DE
Carmen Messina, New Mexico, LB
Ryan Miller, Colorado, G
Julian Miller, W. Virginia, DT
David Molk, Michigan, C
Roosevelt Nix, Kent St., DE
Trevor Olson, N. Illinois, OT
Kelechi Osemele, Iowa St., OT
Donte Paige-Moss, N. Carolina, DE
Corey Paredes, Hawaii, LB
Nick Perry, USC, DE
Moe Petrus, U Conn, C
Nate Potter, Boise St., OT
Tydreke Powell, N. Carolina, DT
Sean Progar, N. Illinois, DE
Kheeson Randall, Texas, DL
Taylor Reed, SMU, LB
Riley Reiff, Iowa, OT
Kendall Reyes, U Conn, DE
Matt Reynolds, BYU, OT
Travian Robertson, S. Carolina, DT
Keenan Robinson, Texas, LB
Adrian Robinson, Temple, DE
Mike Ryan, U Conn, OT
Quentin Saulsberry, Miss. St., G/C
JK Schaffer, Cincinnati, LB
Mitchell Schwartz, Cal, OT
Mychall Sisson, Colorado St., LB
Shayne Skov, Stanford, LB
Jacquies Smith, Missouri, DE
Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss, OT
Sean Spence, Miami, LB
Andrew Sweat, Ohio St., LB
Alameda Ta'amu, Washington, DT
Bruce Taylor, Virginia Tech, LB
Devin Taylor, South Carolina, DE
Manti Te'o, Notre Dame, LB
Taylor Thompson, SMU, DE
Chris Thompson, Houston, C
Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, LB
Jabaree Tuani, Navy, DE
Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, DE/LB
Joe Vellano, Maryland, DT
William Vlachos, Alabama, C
Bobby Wagner, Utah St., LB
Chaz Walker, Utah, LB
Larry Warford, Kentucky, G
Brandon Washington, Miami, G
Scott Wedige, N. Illinois, C
Sean Westgate, UCLA, LB
Garrick Williams, Texas A&M, LB
Korey Williams, So. Miss, LB
Billy Winn, Boise St., DT
Jerel Worthy, Michigan St., DT
Carson York, Oregon, G
Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin, G

[mrydel]

You would think they would upgrade to a push button Lombardi Award list. Congrats guys and good luck.

[SMU89]

Beachum has been named to the Outland List, Thompson has made the Nagurski Award List, Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson were named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Zach Line was named to the Watch List for the Maxwell Award, Thompson And Margus Hunt were selected to the Pony Express Award Watch List and Blake McJunkin was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List.

Hopefully we don't have anyone get on the [deleted] list.

[mrydel]

These early lists, though an honor, are more of recognition of the best players on each team by position. What is exciting to me is to have multiple players on the list. In the past we would just get a token name in most cases. I want the kids to now perform in a manner that they make the cut when the lists get whittled down.

[PK]

You would think they would upgrade to a push button Lombardi Award list. Congrats guys and good luck.

The majority of people on PonyFans.com have no idea as to what you are talking about.

[mrydel]

You would think they would upgrade to a push button Lombardi Award list. Congrats guys and good luck.

The majority of people on PonyFans.com have no idea as to what you are talking about.

I thought about that after I wrote it.