University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Shawn Nelson Named to Mackey Award Watch List
7/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 23, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss junior Shawn Nelson (Gonzales, La.) was named to the 2007 John Mackey Award watch list in an announcement made today by the Nassau County Sports Commission.
The prestigious honor is given annually to the best collegiate tight end, and the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee and announced in mid-December. The list consists of 31 players, including two from Conference USA. Nelson is joined on the preseason watch list by Marshall's Cody Slate.
Nelson, a junior tight end and All-American candidate, garnered first-team honors on the All-Conference USA Coaches' Team and honorable-mention Sophomore All-America honors by CollegeFootballNews.com and has been named to the preliminary watch list for the 2007 Rotary Lombardi Award. He completed the 2006 season with a team-leading 36 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns. Nelson also was ranked No. 7 on the list of Phil Steele's Top 40 Tight Ends. Sporting News also placed Nelson on the C-USA Honor Roll, naming him "Most Physical Receiver."
NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.
The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists six NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the 2007 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham ('02) of the Denver Broncos, Kellen Winslow, Jr. ('03) of the Cleveland Browns, Heath Miller ('04) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars and 2006 John Mackey Award recipient Matt Spaeth of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2007 John Mackey Award Watch List
PLAYER YR SCHOOL Gary Barnidge SR Louisville Travis Beckum JR Wisconsin Martellus Bennett JR Texas A&M Chris Brown SR Tennessee Eric Butler SR Mississippi State John Carlson SR Notre Dame Chase Coffman JR Missouri Jeff Cumberland SR Illinois Fred Davis SR USC Brody Eldridge SO Oklahoma DajLeon Farr JR Miami, FL Jermichael Finley SO Texas Joey Haynos SR Maryland Anthony Hill SR NC State Darius Hill JR Ball State Chris Hopkins SR Toledo Dustin Keller SR Purdue Branden Ledbetter JR Western Michigan Tony Moeaki JR Iowa Shawn Nelson JR Southern Miss Bear Pascoe JR Fresno St Logan Paulsen JR UCLA Brandon Pettigrew JR Oklahoma St Andrew Quarless SO Penn St Martin Rucker SR Missouri Tom Santi SR Virginia Cody Slate SO Marshall Kory Sperry SR Colorado St Craig Stevens SR California Jacob Tamme SR Kentucky Zeek Zacharie JR Louisiana-Monroe
