University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football's Nelson Named To Lombardi Watch List
3/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 21, 2007
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Southern Miss junior tight end Shawn Nelson has been named to the preliminary watch list for the 2007 Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia Bank, released today
Three Conference USA players are among the 43 standouts named to the watch list. Marshall senior center Doug Legursky and junior defensive end Albert McClellan are the other two league representatives.
Nelson, a junior from Gonzales, La., followed up his Freshman All-American season in 2005 by being named First Team All-Conference USA in 2006. He led all C-USA tight ends in receptions with a team-high 36. Nelson also topped the Golden Eagles in receiving yards with 506, while scoring three touchdowns.
Nine players are returning to the Rotary Lombardi Award Preliminary Watch List for 2007 - Marshall's Legursky, USC's Sam Baker, TCU's Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz , Toledo's John Greco, Auburn's Quentin Groves, Virginia Tech's Vince Hall, Wake Forest's Steve Justice, and Oregon State's Jeremy Perry .
The 43 preliminary candidates earned a place on the initial watch list by earning All-American honors or by being named to their respective all-conference team as selected by the conference's head coaches. The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2007 season in order to identify those players who have been selected as pre-season honors candidates.
Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen and those defensive players who line up within five yards of the football. While the Watch List highlights players who have already received national recognition, any Division I player who meets the position requirements is eligible for consideration from the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee. This committee is comprised of more than 500 members, including all past finalists, all Division I 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 2007.
This year's event, marking the 38th year of raising funds for the American Cancer Society while honoring college football's best lineman, will be held at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston on December 5, 2007.
2007 LOMBARDI AWARD WATCH LIST (as of 3/21/07) Sam Baker, OT, USC Tommy Blake, DE, TCU George Bussey, OT, Louisville Ezra Butler, LB, Nevada Terrill Byrd, DT, Cincinnati Calais Campbell, DE, Miami Ian Campbell, DE, Kansas State Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State Bruce Davis, DE, UCLA Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU Keilen Dykes, DT, West Virginia Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois Eric Foster, DT, Rutgers Drew Fowler, LB, Air Force John Greco, OT, Toledo Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn Vince Hall, LB, Virginia Tech Tavares Jones, DE, Middle Tennessee State Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State Doug Legursky, OL, Marshall Kory Lichtensteiger, OL, Bowling Green Jake Long, OT, Michigan Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas Alex Mack, C, California Rey Maualuga, LB, USC Albert McClellan, DE, Marshall Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss Chase Ortiz, DE, TCU Jeremy Perry, OG, Oregon State Jason Phillips, LB, TCU Josh Pinnick, DL, Florida Atlantic Barry Richardson, OT, Clemson Steve Rissler, C, Florida Keith Rivers, LB, USC Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri Bo Ruud, LB, Nebraska Jacob Tamme, TE, Kentucky David Vobora, LB, Idaho Erik Walden, DL, Middle Tennessee State Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky Jeremy Zuttah, OL, Rutgers
