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Ruffin Heads Buchanan Award List

Photo - DE James Ruffin – Northern Iowa

The Buchanan Award is handed out annually to the best defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). James Ruffin of Northern Iowa is one of 20 players on the initial list and is the only player on both the Buchanan and Ted Hendricks Award lists. A total of 20 candidates have been announced for the Buchanan Award, in alphabetical order, over the past few months. The watch list will be revised in October and again in November, before the final ballot is announced.
Ruffin has been a mainstay at UNI since his freshman season. In 2008, as mentioned, the All-American and 1st team All-MVFC selection amassed a Missouri Valley-best 18 TFL, 10 sacks, 69 tackles, and 3 FF. He recorded a career-high eight tackles in an FCS semifinal game vs eventual national champion Richmond in 2008. As a sophomore, he tallied 7.5 TFL and 52 tackles to earn All-MVFC honors. During his freshman campaign, he fought his way onto the MVFC all-newcomer team while registering 26 tackles, 3 TFL and 3 PBU. In his first three seasons at UNI, he has totaled 147 tackles, 28.5 TFL, 13.5 sacks and three FF.

Preseason Buchanan Award Watch List:

Christian Anthony, DE, Grambling
Danny Batten, DE, South Dakota St
Tommy Connors, SS, Southeastern Louisiana
Dane Fletcher, DE, Montana St
Charles Graves, FS, Delaware
Larry Hart, DE, Central Arkansas
Brandin Jordan, LB, Southern Illinois
Austen Lane, DE, Murray St
Mark LeGree, FS, Appalachian St
Jeromy Miles, SS, Massachusetts
Josh Morris, CB, Weber St
Osayi Osunde, LB, Villanova
Justin Rogers, CB, Richmond
James Ruffin, DE, Northern Iowa

2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Photo - DE Eric Norwood - South Carolina

Six Football Writers Association of America All-Americans are among 62 players selected to the 2009 Bronko Nagurski Watch List, announced by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Included on the list are two past finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Texas Christian end Jerry Hughes and South Florida end George Selvie.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. The trophy has been presented since 1993 and is awarded in memory of the legendary Nagurski, an All-America lineman at Minnesota in 1927-29 and a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s.

Besides Hughes, a 2008 All-American, and Selvie, a 2007 All-American, other FWAA All-Americans from last season on the 2009 Watch List are Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry Alabama tackle Terrence Cody, USC defensive back Taylor Mays and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes.

The Bronko Nagurski Watch List is fluid. Players may be added or removed during the season. After the first four games of the season, the FWAA will revise the list and at that time school sports information directors may submit names for players not on the list to the FWAA and their conference's FWAA All-America Committee representative.

2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Javier Arenas, DB, Alabama
Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia
Kevin Basped, DE, Nevada
Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee
Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn St
Morgan Burnett, DB, Georgia Tech
Kam Chancellor, DB, Virginia Tech
Barry Church, DB, Toledo
Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
Kurt Coleman, DB, Ohio St
Antonio Coleman, DE, Auburn
Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia
Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
Joe Haden, DB, Florida
Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss
Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU
Micah Johnson, LB, Kentucky
Greg Jones, LB, Michigan St
Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
Brandon Lang, DE, Troy
Sean Lee, LB, Penn State
Mark LeGree, DB, Appalachian St
Myron Lewis, CB, Vanderbilt
Trevard Lindley, DB, Kentucky
Taylor Mays, DB, USC
Rolondo McClain, LB, Alabama
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Koa Misi, DE, Utah
Jerome Murphy, CB, USF
Andre Neblett, NT, Temple
Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina
Jared Odrick, DT, Penn St
Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke

Biletnikoff '09 Award Watch List

WR Arrelious Benn - Illinois

Illinois receiver Arrelious Benn and Oklahoma St wideout Dez Bryant head a list 37 players nationally for the preseason watch list for the 2009 Biletnikoff Award, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced this week. Both Benn and Bryant are talented underclassmen who have the big play ability to be difference makers this season. Bryant is coming off impressive ’08 performances and was the runner-up for the award last year when he was consensus 1st-team All-America honoree as a sophomore. He is coming off a sensational ‘08 campaign in which he made 87 catches for 1,480 yards. He ranked 2nd nationally with 19 touchdown receptions and was third nationally with 113.9 receiving yards per game. His 9.69 points per game ranked second in the country and his 17.94 yards per punt return placed him third in the nation.
The Biletnikoff Selection Committee will send out electronic ballots to voters. The first vote will determine the 10 semifinalists and will be announced on October 22. The 2nd vote will determine the top 3 finalists and will be announced on November 19th and the last vote to determine the recipient will take place on November 30th. All Voters for the Biletnikoff Award consist of Sports Writers who cover College Football on a National, Regional, or Conference Level, Past Award Winners of the Biletnikoff Award, and distinguished receivers of the past. The recipient of the 2009 Biletnikoff Award will be announced live on ESPN on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday, December 10th. The Biletnikoff Award Presentation Banquet will be held at the University Center Club at Florida St University in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday, February 13, 2010. The award is named for Fred Biletnikoff, the Florida St University All-America receiver and a Pro-Football Hall of Famer. The Biletnikoff Award has been given out for the past 15 years.

2009 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List

Kris Adams, UTEP
Seyi Ajirotutu, Fresno St
Brandon Banks, Kansas St
Doug Beaumont, Louisville
Arrelious Benn, Illinois
Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas
Antonio Brown, Central Michigan
DeAndre Brown, Southern Miss
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
Dez Bryant, Oklahoma St

2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”

DE George Selvie – South Florida

The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of thirty “players to watch” for its prestigious Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade.
“We are proud to continue the great work of Walter Camp and recognize the best college football players in the nation,” Foundation president Alphonse Paolillo, Jr. said. “This watch list is a great start to what is shaping up to be another exciting year of college football.”
Six players on the 2009 watch list, including the 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year Colt McCoy (QB, Texas), were named to last year’s Walter Camp All-America First Team. The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in early November. The 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on the ESPN SportsCenter on December 10. The winner will then receive his trophy at the annual national awards banquet on January 18, 2010 at Yale University in New Haven. Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation (www.waltercamp.org) – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”
Jahvid Best, RB, Junior, California
Arrelious Benn, WR, Junior, Illinois
Eric Berry, DB, Junior, Tennessee - 2008 Camp 1st Team All-American
Sam Bradford, QB, Junior, Oklahoma - 2008 Camp 2nd Team All-American

John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List

Photo – TE Dennis Pitta - BYU

Senior tight end Dennis Pitta is one of 30 individuals named to the 2009 John Mackey Award watch list, an award given annually to the most outstanding tight end in Division I-A college football. In addition to demonstrating outstanding athletic prowess on the field, the award also stands for positive sportsmanship-like behavior, good academic standing & exceptional leadership abilities. Pitta, a two-time 1st-team all-Mountain West Conference performer, ranked 3rd in the MWC and 21st nationally with 1,083 receiving yards in 2008. His total receiving yards also ranked 2nd among tight ends in the FBS behind only James Casey of Rice (1,329 yards). Pitta recorded four 100-plus yard receiving games in 2008, including the best single-game performance by a tight end with 213 yards against Northern Iowa on Aug. 30. 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 2001, lists eight NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham ('02) of the Broncos, Kellen Winslow II ('03) of the Bucs, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller ('04) of the Steelers, Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jaguars, Matt Spaeth ('06) of the of the 2008 Super Bowl Champion Steelers, Fred Davis ('07) of the Redskins and the 2008 John Mackey Award recipient Chase Coffman of the Bengals.
The award recipient is determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee, which is composed of respected members of the media and former NFL players, and will be announced on December 10, 2009.
The 2009 John Mackey Award preseason watch list was released by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee

2009 John Mackey Award Watch List

2009 College Football Awards Calendar

Photo – DE Corey Wootton - Northwestern

Award Watch List - Semifinalists - Finalists - Winner Banquet/Presentation
Bednarik - Aug. 13 Nov. 4 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 March 5 (Atlantic City, N.J.)
Biletnikoff - Aug. 10 Oct. 26 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Feb. 13 (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Broyles - Nov. 30 Dec. 8 Dec. 8 (Little Rock, Ark.)
Butkus - Aug. 20 Oct. 15 Nov. 19 Dec. 4-8 Jan. (Chicago, Ill.)
Walter Camp - Aug. 7 Nov. 12 Dec. 7 Dec. 10 Jan. 16 (New Haven, Ct.)
Draddy - Oct. 1 Oct. 29 Dec. 8 Dec. 8 (New York, N.Y.)
Groza - Aug. 12 Nov. 9 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Dec. 8 (Palm Beach, Fla.)
Guy - Aug. 5 Nov. 13 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Jan. (Augusta, Ga.)
Heisman - Dec. 9 Dec. 12 Dec. 14 (New York, N.Y.)
Lombardi - Aug. 18 Oct. 14 Nov. 11 Dec. 9 Dec. 9 (Houston, Texas)
Mackey - July 29 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 April 26 (Carle Place, N.Y.)
Maxwell - Aug. 14 Nov. 4 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 March 5 (Atlantic City, N.J.)
Munger - Nov. 4 Nov. 23 Dec. 15 March 5 (Atlantic City, N.J.)
Nagurski - Aug. 19 Nov. 18 Dec. 7 Dec. 7 (Charlotte, N.C.)
Davey O'Brien - Aug. 3 Oct. 26 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Feb. 15 (Fort Worth, Tx)
Outland - Aug. 11 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Jan. 14 (Omaha, Neb.)
Rimington - Aug. 20 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Jan. 16 (Lincoln, Neb.)
Eddie Robinson - Dec. 9 Jan. 5 Jan. 5 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Disney Spirit - Dec. 10 Dec. 10 (Lake Buena Vista, Fla.)
Jim Thorpe - Aug. 6 Nov. 4 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Feb. 8 (Ok City, Ok.)
Doak Walker - Aug. 4 Nov. 12 Nov. 23 Dec. 10 Feb. 19 (Dallas, Texas)

Outland Trophy Finalists Announced by FWAA

Photo - Guard Duke Robinson - Oklahoma

The Football Writers Association of America announced today the finalists for the Outland Trophy - Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher, Oklahoma guard Duke Robinson and Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith. The three finalists for the 63nd Outland Trophy is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football.

The winner of the Outland Trophy will be announced on the evening of Dec. 11 during "The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show" at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The show, hosted by ESPN's Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, airs from 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET.

Michael Oher is a 6-5, 318-pound senior from Memphis, Tenn. who has started 45 straight games for the Ole Miss Rebels (7-4), who defeated LSU, 31-13, last Saturday and could be in line for a bid to the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. The subject of a book, "The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game," depicting his ascension from impoverished beginnings, Oher was named the Southeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week after Ole Miss beat Louisiana-Monroe, 59-0, this season. Ole Miss is third in the SEC in rushing, with Oher helping pave the way. He is the first finalist for the award to come from Ole Miss.

Duke Robinson is a 6-5, 335-pound senior from Atlanta, Ga. who anchors the line for one of the most prolific offenses in college football at Oklahoma. The Sooners (10-1) throttled Texas Tech, 65-21, last Saturday and moved into serious contention for the national title. Oklahoma is third in the country in total offense and passing offense. Robinson, who is considered the Sooners' best offensive lineman, is expected to be the first guard taken in the 2009 NFL Draft, but he also can play tackle. He is also looking to become the Sooners' sixth winner of the Outland.

Andre Smith is a 6-4, 330-pound junior from Birmingham, Ala. who probably won't be around for his senior season. On the way to probably his second straight Jacobs Blocking Trophy (best blocker in the SEC), Smith anchors the offensive line for the top-ranked Crimson Tide (11-0). He has allowed only one sack all season. From his left tackle spot, Smith is projected to be the top player taken overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by at least one scouting service. Only once before has an Alabama player won the Outland (Chris Samuels in 1999).

The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. The Outland Trophy is the third oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of nearly 1,000 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

For more information on the Outland Trophy, go to the official website, www.outlandtrophy.com, or contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson.

Frank Coyle is a longtime Member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for the Super 16 College Team Polls throughout the season that will present Grantland Rice award to the national champion in January '09. He is also a voter for Players of the Week and for the FWAA All-American teams at the conclusion of each season.