HOUSTON – The Rotary Lombardi Award Committee has announced the “Official Watch List” for the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award, and LSU senior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard has made the list.
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-America 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.
Sheppard is one of 15 Southeastern Conference players listed as a candidate for the award. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native is on nearly every national defensive player of the year watch list, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott Trophy.
A preseason first-team All-SEC selection by the coaches and media, Sheppard stands as the veteran leader of the LSU defense after ranking third in the SEC in tackles as a junior with 103. He and the Tigers open the 2010 season on Sept. 4 against North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at 7 p.m. CDT in Atlanta.
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.
The 41st Rotary Lombardi Award will be held Dec. 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.
Other Watch Lists:
Lott Trophy, April 21 (CB Patrick Peterson, LB Kelvin Sheppard)
Bronko Nagurski Trophy, June 21 (CB Patrick Peterson, LB Kelvin Sheppard)
Outland Trophy, June 21 (DT Drake Nevis)
Davey O’Brien Award, July 14
Jim Thorpe Award, Aug. 2 (CB Patrick Peterson)
Walter Camp Award, Aug. 9 (CB Patrick Peterson)
Bednarik Award, Aug. 9 (CB Patrick Peterson, LB Kelvin Sheppard)
Maxwell Award, Aug. 9
Biletnikoff Award, Aug. 10
Ray Guy Award, Aug. 11
Manning Award, Aug 16 (QB Jordan Jefferson)
Butkus Award, Aug. 16 (LB Kelvin Sheppard)
Mackey Award, Aug. 16
Hornung Award, Aug. 17
Lou Groza Award, Aug. 20 (PK Josh Jasper)
Doak Walker Award, Aug. 23
Rimington Trophy, Aug. 27
Lombardi Award, Aug. 27 (LB Kelvin Sheppard)
Kelvin Sheppard Preseason Honors/Award Watch Lists
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Butkus Award Watch List
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Lott Trophy Watch List
Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
Sporting News Preseason Third-Team All-America
SEC Preseason All-SEC First Team (Coaches, Media)
2010 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
Player, Pos., School
Sam Acho, DE, Texas
Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska
Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina
Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA
Allen Bailey, DT/DE, Miami
Jeff Battipaglia, OT, Navy
Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
Chase Beeler, C, Stanford
Nick Bellore, LB, Central Michigan
Broderick Binns, DE, Iowa
Clint Boling, OT, Georgia
Justin Boren, G, Ohio State
Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona St.
Marcus Cannon, OT, TCU
Tank Carder, LB, TCU
Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
James Carpenter, OT, Alabama
Bruce Carter, LB, North Carolina
Jurrell Casey, DT, USC
Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
Ugo Chinasa, DE, Oklahoma St.
Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
Wayne Daniels, DE, TCU
Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
Grant Fleming, LB, UL-Lafayette
Chris Galippo, LB, USC
Cameron Heyward, DT/DE, Ohio State
Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College
Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
Kyle Hix, OT, Texas
Ross Homan, LB, Ohio St.
Justin Houston, DE, Georgia
Rodney Hudson, G, Florida St.
Nate Irving, LB, NC State
Ethan Johnson, DE, Notre Dame
Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State
Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin
Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
Jake Kirkpatrick, C, TCU
Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
DeMarcus Love, OT, Arkansas
Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon
Cliff Matthews, DE, South Carolina
Marcus McGraw, LB, Houston
Josh McNary, DE, Army
Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi St.
Bruce Miller, DE, UCF
Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia
Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M
Scott Mitchell, OT, Rice
Mike Mohamed, LB, Cal
Derek Newton, OL, Arkansas St.
Kris O’Dowd, C, USC
Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon St.
Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
Mike Pouncey, G, Florida
Nate Potter, OT, Boise St.
Jerrell Powe, DT, Ole Miss
Ryan Pugh, C, Auburn
Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU
Barquell Rivers, LB, Virginia Tech
Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
Kenny Rowe, DE, Oregon
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
Weslye Saunders, TE, South Carolina
Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU
Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi St.
Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse
Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame
J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia
Bo Thran, G, Oregon
Jabaree Tuani, DE, Navy
Ryan Winterswyk, DE, Boise St.
Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State
Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland
Lee Ziemba, OT, Auburn