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Eight Semi-Finalists Announced for 2008 John Mackey Award

Photo - TE Jared Cook - South Carolina

The Nassau County Sports Commission announced eight semi-finalists for the 2008 John Mackey Award. Listed alphabetically, they are Chase Coffman (JR, Missouri), Jared Cook (JR, South Carolina), Jermaine Gresham (JR, Oklahoma), Mark Hafner (SR, Houston), Branden Ledbetter (SR, Western Michigan), Brandon Pettigrew (SR, Oklahoma State), Dennis Pitta (JR, BYU) and D.J. Williams (SO, Arkansas).

The eight semi-finalists were determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Selection Committee. The 2008 recipient of "The Mackey" will be announced on December 11, 2008 at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show live on ESPN and presented at the Nassau County Sports Commission Annual Awards Dinner on April 27, 2009.

The John Mackey Award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame Tight End John Mackey. The Nassau County Sports Commission is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that promotes sports and healthy lifestyle for Nassau County residents and is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee.

Chase Coffman - Missouri
Jared Cook - South Carolina
Jermaine Gresham - Oklahoma
Mark Hafner - Houston
Branden Ledbetter - Western Michigan
Brandon Pettigrew - Oklahoma St
Dennis Pitta - BYU
D.J. Williams - Arkansas

Lott Trophy Names Eight Semi-Finalists

Photo - LB Scott McKillop - Pittsburgh

Four linebackers, two defensive backs and a pair of defensive ends have been named semi-finalists for the fifth annual Lott Trophy, it was announced this week.
The linebackers, all among the top tacklers in the nation, are Aaron Curry of Wake Forest, James Laurinaitis of Ohio State, Scott McKillop of Pitt and Brit Miller of Illinois. Safeties Eric Berry of Tennessee and Myron Rolle of Florida St are joined on the semi-final list by Defensive ends Brian Orakpo of Texas and Nick Reed of Oregon, two of the top pass rushers in the country.
Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive Impact Player of the Year. Now in its fifth year, The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.

The 2008 Lott Trophy Semi-finalists:
Eric Berry, So., S, Tennessee
Aaron Curry, Sr., LB, Wake Forest
James Laurinaitis, Sr., LB, Ohio St
Scott McKillop, Sr., LB, Pitt
Brit Miller, Sr., LB, Illinois
Brian Orakpo, Sr., DE, Texas
Nick Reed, Sr., DE, Oregon
Myron Rolle, Jr., S, Florida St

The Lott award is given to a player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
David Pollack of Georgia, DeMeco Ryans of Alabama, Dante Hughes of Cal and Glenn Dorsey of LSU were the winners of the first four Lott Trophies. Georgia, Alabama, Cal and LSU each received $25,000 for their general scholarship funds. In four years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated $450,000 to various charities, in addition to the universities.

Capsules of the Eight Semi Finalists - below

Alabama's Rashad Johnson is Nagurski
Defensive Player of the Week

Photo - Safety Rashad Johnson - Alabama

Senior safety plays key role in win at LSU

Alabama free safety Rashad Johnson has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 8.

Johnson is a 6' 190 lb. senior from Sulligent, Ala. and tied a Crimson Tide record with three interceptions in Alabama's 27-21 overtime victory at LSU. He returned one of the interceptions 54 yards for a touchdown and his third interception helped seal the win in overtime. Johnson also recorded four tackles, including a half sack. The senior safety intercepted an LSU pass in overtime, paving the way for Alabama's 27-21 overtime win at No. 15 at LSU win and earning the Crimson Tide a "Pontiac Game Changing Performance" nomination.

Johnson is already on the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 7 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced next week.

Each week during the 2008 season the FWAA All-America Committee has selected a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents. This is the final week that a player of the week will be selected this season. Frank Coyle has been a voter in this award over recent years.

Jim Thorpe Award List - Semifinalists

Photo - Corner D.J. Moore - Vanderbilt

Thirteen of the nation's best college football defensive backs were announced as finalists for the 2008 Jim Thorpe Award. The award named after Oklahoma born Native American sports legend Jim Thorpe, is presented annually to the defensive back who best exhibits performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The semifinalist list will be narrowed to three finalists on Monday, November 24, and the winner will be announced on the ESPNU College Football Awards Show, broadcast nationally on Thursday, December 11. Formal presentation will be at a banquet in Oklahoma City, Monday, February 11, 2009. Frank Coyle has been a Jim Thorpe voter the past 15 years.

2008 Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalists:

Asher Allen, Jr., Georgia
Eric Berry, So., Tennessee
Emanuel Cook, Jr., So. Carolina
Vontae Davis, Jr., Illinois
Trimane Goddard, Sr., N. Carolina
Malcolm Jenkins, Sr., Ohio St
Trevard Lindley, Jr., Kentucky
Taylor Mays, Jr., USC
Mike Mickens, Sr., Cincinnati
D. J. Moore, Jr., Vanderbilt
William Moore, Sr., Missouri
Alphonso Smith, Sr., Wake Forest
Otis Wiley, Sr., Michigan St

Wiley and Goddard were added to the award's preseason ‘watch list' midway through the season. The first Jim Thorpe Award was presented in 1986 to Thomas Everett, Baylor, and last year's trophy went to Antoine Cason, Arizona.
Jim Thorpe is generally considered history's greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also an awesome defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as “The Legend", Thorpe also played professional baseball and won gold medals in the 1912 Olympics decathlon and pentathlon.

Walter Payton & Buck Buchanan '08 Award Lists

Photo - QB Liam Coen - Massachusetts

QB Liam Coen - Massachusetts Heads the Walter Payton '08 Award list

QB Liam Coen of Massachusetts heads the Walter Payton Award list for the 2008 season. Coen is the UMass team Captain and All-American who started his fourth season this weekend. He has been a decorated QB who led UMass to the National Championship game as a sophomore and holds nearly every UMass QB passing record for a game, season and career. He combines fine size, arm strength with great play-action ability and nice mobility in the pocket to be one of the more efficient QBs in college football. Over his long starting career, he has compiled a 29-8 in his 37 starts dating to 2005 with a 29-5 record vs. FCS teams. In the UMass '08 season opener on Aug. 30th, he went 10 of 20 passes for 92 yards and 3 TDs in leading UMass to a 28-16 opening victory over Albany (N.Y.).

2008 Doak Walker Award Candidates:

Photo - LeSean McCoy - Pittsburgh

Tarrion Adams (Sr.), Tulsa
Reggie Arnold (Jr.), Arkansas St
Kahill Bell (Sr.), UCLA
Andre Brown (Sr.), North Carolina St
Donald Brown (Jr.), Connecticut
Donald Buckram (So.), UTEP
James Davis (Sr.), Clemson
Mike Davis (Sr.), South Carolina
Andre Dixon (Jr.), Connecticut
Anthony Dixon (Jr.), Mississippi St
Jonathan Dwyer (So.), Georgia Tech
Jamelle Eugene (Jr.), North Carolina St
Tyrell Fenroy (Sr.), Louisiana Lafayette
Rodney Ferguson (Sr.), New Mexico

Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop Heads Walter Camp and Butkus Awards

Photo - LB Scott McKillop - Pittsburgh

The preseason Walter Camp “watch list” is comprised of 35 players. The list will be narrowed to 15 semifinalists in early November. The 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is selected by a vote of the 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December.
Scott McKillop is coming off an outstanding junior campaign in which he led the nation in tackles, averaging 12.58 per game, and finished second in solos (8.17 avg.). He received a slew of postseason honors in 2007, including selection to four different All-America squads.