University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
2007 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List Updated
8/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 24, 2007
HOUSTON, Texas - With the 2007 college football season set to begin, 60 players have been added to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. The 38th annual Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia, honoring the top lineman in college football and benefiting the American Cancer Society, will be presented in Houston on December 5 at the Hilton Americas Hotel.
Senior offensive lineman Chris Clark, senior defensive end Robert Henderson and redshirt junior tight end Shawn Nelson represent Southern Miss on the list.
The new players have been added to the preliminary watch list announced in March based on various pre-season honors. Although the 103 players now on the Watch List are representative of the nation's top football players, the list is not intended to serve as the actual ballot when first round voting begins in late September.
As recently as 2005, Elvis Dumervil, one of the final four finalists that year, was not included on the Watch List at the start of the season. Any player meeting the basic award criteria - a down lineman on either side of the ball including tight ends, and linebackers who line up within five yards of the ball - is eligible to receive votes.
Unlike last year when the list was fairly evenly divided, this year's list has more defensive players than offensive players. There are 60 defensive players and 43 offensive players.
