BATON ROUGE — LSU free safety Ryan Clark is one of 38 athletes on the “watch list” for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the best defensive back in college football by the Oklahoma City-based Jim Thorpe Association.
The “watch list” is derived from a compilation of players named on All-American teams and Honorable Mention charts published by various preseason football magazines.
The progress of potential winners is tracked throughout the season. A screening committee will narrow the field to 10 semifinalists to be announced the first week in November. That list will be submitted to a national selection committee consisting of coaches, journalists and former players from around the nation.
Three finalists will be announced the Monday before Thanksgiving with the winner being announced at the annual ESPN College Football Awards Show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 6.
Previous winners of the award include 1997 Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson of Michigan and former Florida State great Deion Sanders.
Clark, a senior from Marrero, La., has led the Tigers? secondary in tackles each of the past two seasons, posting 209 tackles during that stretch. A three year starter, Clark posted a team-high 110 tackles in 1999.
A second-team All-SEC selection each of the past two seasons, Clark enters the 2001 season with five career interceptions.
Jim Thorpe Award Preseason ?Watch List?
Marques Anderson, UCLA
Rashad Bauman, Oregon
Sheldon Brown, South Carolina
Phillip Buchanon, Miami (Fla.)
Ryan Clark, LSU
Keyou Craver, Nebraska
Kevin Curtis, Texas Tech
Mike Doss, Ohio State
Mike Echols, Wisconsin
Anthony Floyd, Louisville
Ken Hamlin, Arkansas
Cedric Henry, Michigan State
Terrence Holt, North Carolina State
Chris Hope, Florida State
Quentin Jammer, Texas
Todd Johnson, Florida
Cato June, Michigan
Michael Lewis, Colorado
Andre Lott, Tennessee
Ricky Manning, UCLA
Chris Massey, Oklahoma State
Pig Prather, Mississippi State
Edward Reed, Miami (Fla.)
Mike Rumph, Miami (Fla.)
Gerome Sapp, Notre Dame
Stuart Schweigert, Purdue
Lito Sheppard, Florida
Derrick Strait, Oklahoma
Syniker Taylor, Ole Miss
Kevin Thomas, UNLV
Lamont Thompson, Washington State
Ramon Walker, Pittsburgh
Tim Wansley, Georgia
Dennis Weathersby, Oregon State
Ronyell Whitaker, Virginia Tech
Chas Williams, Southern Mississippi
Roy Williams, Oklahoma
Tank Williams, Stanford