Draft Insiders' Digest Premier NFL Draft and Free Agency Publication
Thorpe Award Announces 10 Semi-finalists
Photo - Tejay Johnson - TCU
The Jim Thorpe Award Screening Committee has announced the names of 10 semi-finalists for the award given annually to the nation’s best college defensive back. The 2010 award marks the 25th presentation of the trophy, first won in 1986 by Baylor’s Thomas Everett. Last year’s winner was the Tennessee’s Eric Berry who became a #1 draft selection for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Jim Thorpe Award Screening Committee has announced TCU safety Tejay Johnson as one of 10 semifinalists for the award presented annually to the nation's top defensive back. Johnson is the third Horned Frog to be a semifinalist for a national award this season. Quarterback Andy Dalton and center Jake Kirkpatrick are semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien and Rotary Lombardi Award, respectively.
Johnson has been a three year starter and singled out by head coach Gary Patterson for his on-field leadership. TCU has led the nation in defense all three of those seasons. Johnson ranks third on the Horned Frogs with 46 tackles. He is tied for the team lead with three FF and two interceptions, including a 19-yard return for a touchdown at SMU. He added three pass breakups in the SMU game.
Johnson is an anchor of a TCU defense that ranks first in scoring defense at 8.7 points per game, the lowest mark in the NCAA since 1988. The Horned Frogs are also tops in the nation in pass defense, fewest first downs allowed and opponent third-down percentage. TCU has allowed just two touchdowns and 16 points in its last five games. TCU's defense has forced a three-and-out on 50-of-104 (48.1 percent) possessions. Opponents average just 54.1 snaps per game.
Named to four preseason All-America teams, Johnson appeared on watch lists for the Jim Thorpe Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lott Trophy. He was also a candidate for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Johnson is a rehabilitation of the deaf/hard of hearing major.
The 2010 semi-finalists are:
Prince Amukamara - Sr. - Nebraska
Mark Barron - Jr. - Alabama
Chimdi Chekwa - Sr. - Ohio State
Brandon Harris - Jr. - Miami (FL)
Cliff Harris - Soph. - Oregon
Tejay Johnson - Sr. - TCU
Joe Lefeged - Sr. - Rutgers
Rahim Moore - Jr. - UCLA
Patrick Peterson - Jr. - LSU
Tyler Sash - Jr. - Iowa
About the Jim Thorpe Award:
The Jim Thorpe Award is one of college football’s most sought after and prestigious awards. It is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was an awesome defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as “The Legend”, Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.
The candidates for the award are selected by a “screening committee” of Jim Thorpe Association members who follow several players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee then narrows the field to three finalists and the names of these finalists are submitted to a national panel of about 50 sports writers, sportscasters, coaches and former players who vote to determine the winner.
The announcement of the Jim Thorpe Award winner will be featured on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards live on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The show, hosted by ESPN’s Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit will feature the live presentation of nine player awards, along with the recipients of Disney’s Spirit Award; The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, the NCFAA (National College Football Awards Association) Contributions to College Football Award; and student-athletes selected to the Walter Camp All-America Team.
The Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official web site, www.NCFAA.org.
Frank Coyle writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards
DE Ryan Kerrigan Heads Lombardi Award List
Award presented annually to the top college football lineman or linebacker.
Photo - DE Ryan Kerrigan - Purdue
Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan is among the 10 defensive and two offensive players that comprise the list of 12 semifinalists for the 41st Rotary Lombardi Award to be held Dec. 8, 2010, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The semifinalists were announced this week.
Kerrigan is having an excellent senior season as the leader of the Boilermaker defense. He ranks 13th nationally in sacks per game (2.86) and 12th in tackles for loss (7.57). Individually, he leads the Big Ten Conference in both sacks and tackles for loss, while ranking 15th in the NCAA in sacks and second amongst all Football Bowl Subdivision players in TFLs. Kerrigan is currently third for the Boilermakers with 45 total tackles, including 16.5 TFLs with 6.5 sacks.
The Big Ten Conference leads the pack with four players, followed by the Big 12 with three, the SEC and the ACC with two each and one from the Mountain West.
2010 Rotary Lombardi Award Semifinalist
Sam Acho - Defensive End, Texas, 6-3, 260, Sr., Dallas, Texas
Jeremy Beal - Defensive End, Oklahoma, 6-3, 267, Sr. Carrollton, Texas
Da'quan Bowers - Defensive End, Clemson, 6-4, 275, Jr., Bamberg, S.C.
Adrian Clayborn - Defensive End, Iowa, 6-4, 285, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
Jared Crick - Defensive Tackle, Nebraska, 6-6, 285, Jr., Cozad, Neb.
Nick Fairley - Defensive Line, Auburn, 6-5, 298, Jr., Mobile, Ala.
Cameron Heyward - Defensive Tackle, Ohio State, 6-5, 288, Sr., Suwanee, Ga.
Rodney Hudson - Offensive Guard, Florida State, 6-2, 282, Sr., Mobile, Ala.
Greg Jones - Linebacker, Michigan State, 6-1, 240, Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio
Ryan Kerrigan - Defensive End, Purdue, 6-4, 263, Sr., Muncie, Ind.
Jake Kirkpatrick - Center, TCU, 6-3, 305, Sr., Tyler, Texas
Drake Nevis - Defensive Tackle, LSU, 6-5, 285, Sr., Marrero, La.
The Rotary Lombardi Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association's official Web site, www.NCFAA.org.
Butkus Award Semifinalists
ACC Heads Linebacker Award List
LB Bruce Carter - North Carolina
The ACC leads the Butkus Award semifinalist list announced this week with four candidates. Three players that were on last season's award list headlines also appear on this year's list of semifinalists, the award's selection committee announced.
North Carolina’s Bruce Carter, Nate Irving of NC St, Boston College’s Luke Kuechly and Miami’s Sean Spence represent the ACC. Michigan State's Greg Jones, Oklahoma's Travis Lewis and Texas A&M's Von Miller are all repeat members on the 2010 semifinalist list for the award. The Butkus award is given annually to the nation's top linebacker in college football.
The list does not include Boston College's Mark Herzlich, Arizona St.’s Vontaze Burfict and LSU’s Kelvin Sheppard who all have made a strong impact over the first half of the 2010 season for their respective clubs.
The other conferences on the list with three players from the Pac-10 and Big 12 and two linebackers from the SEC complete the list.
Butkus Award Semifinalists
Akeem Ayers - UCLA
Bruce Carter - North Carolina
Mason Foster - Washington
Mario Harvey - Marshall
Dont'a Hightower - Alabama
Justin Houston - Georgia
Nate Irving - North Carolina St
Greg Jones - Michigan St
Luke Kuechly - Boston College
Travis Lewis - Oklahoma
Casey Matthews - Oregon
Von Miller - Texas A&M
Keenan Robinson - Texas
Sean Spence - Miami (Fl.)
Manti Te'o - Notre Dame
Six Named as Hornung's Most Versatile Performer Award
Dwayne Harris - East Carolina
Six players, including two who posted wins over top ten teams this weekend, have been named "Paul Hornung's Most Versatile Performances of the Week," it was announced Monday by Paul Hornung and the Louisville Sports Commission.
East Carolina's Dwayne Harris and Wisconsin's David Gilreath were instrumental in their team's big victories last Saturday. Harris totaled over 200 all purpose yards again in the EC win over NC St. Gilreath began his impact performance with taking back the opening kickoff for a TD that set the stage for Wisconsin's huge win over then #1 Ohio St.
"The honorees had a huge impact on their games this weekend," said Paul Hornung Award Selection Committee member and former NFL star Sam Madison. "They put up big numbers, touched the ball in numerous ways, broke open a game or scored in key situations."
Wisconsin's David Gilreath picked up the award for the first time this season after helping the Badgers to a convincing win over top ranked Ohio State. He returned the game's opening kickoff for a touchdown.
"For a coach to have the confidence to let a player touch the ball so many different ways is huge," said Madison. "From practice, to understanding the game plan to executing it on game day is impressive. We've seen this happen consistently with our Top Performers."
The weekly award honorees highlight elite performances from the previous week in college football that display the same versatility on the field as the legendary Paul Hornung.
Week Seven Honorees:
East Carolina's Dwayne Harris ran the ball once and had nine receptions for 91 yards in the Pirate's 33-27 overtime win over N.C. State on Oct. 16. Harris also returned three punts for 75 yards and four kicks for 95 yards for a season high 260 all-purpose yards.
Wisconsin's David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown on Saturday to ignite the Badgers' 31-18 win over No. 1 Ohio State. The WR also had one reception for 18 yards, one punt return, and three other kickoff returns for a team high 194 all-purpose yards.
Alabama's Trent Richardson had 11 carries for 50 yards, five receptions for 101 yards with an 85-yard touchdown and three kick returns for 74 yards in a 23-10 win over Ole Miss on Oct. 16. He finished with 220 all-purpose yards.
Kentucky's Randall Cobb had 170 all-purpose yards in a 31-28 win over No. 10 South Carolina, touching the ball five different ways: receiving, rushing, kickoff and punt returns and holding for placements. Cobb had eight carries for 27 yards, eight receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown and six returns for 75 yards. His TD reception and two-point conversion rushing in the final two minutes gave Kentucky its 31-28 final margin.
Indiana's Tandon Doss had eight receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown in a 36-34 win over Arkansas State on Saturday, Oct. 16. The WR also four kickoff returns for 121 yards and 4 rushes for 17 yards for a team-high 241 all-purpose yards.
Troy's Jerrel Jernigan had three carries for seven yards, six receptions for 77 yards with a touchdown, a 17-yard kick return and two punt returns for 87 yards, including a 75-yard return for a touchdown in a Oct. 16 win over Louisiana-Lafayette, 31-24. He finished with 188 all-purpose yards.
A weekly, up-to-date rundown of the individual accomplishments of each player on the Watch List can be found on the official website of the Paul Hornung Award at www.paulhornungaward.com.
Three Named as "Paul Hornung's weekly Most Versatile Performer"
Three national players have been named "Paul Hornung's Most Versatile Performances of the Week," it was announced Monday by Paul Hornung and the Louisville Sports Commission. The weekly award honorees highlight elite performances from the previous week in college football that display the same versatility on the field as the legendary Paul Hornung.
Week Five Honorees:
Photo - WR/RS Randall Cobb - Kentucky
The weekly award honorees highlight elite performances from the previous week in college football that display the same versatility on the field as the legendary Paul Hornung.
This week's honorees includes Randall Cobb of Kentucky who earned the nomination for the third time this season. Cobb had an outstanding performance in the Wildcats lost to Ole Miss. The two other players nominated faced off in a 42-35 offensive showcase as Michigan and Denard Robinson beat Indiana and Tandon Doss in Bloomington. The duo combined for 857 all-purpose yards in the Big Ten contest.
Week Five Honorees:
· Kentucky's Randall Cobb had 267 all-purpose yards in a 42-35 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford. Cobb had six receptions for 108 yards and a TD, five punt returns for 85 yards, three kick returns for 64 yards and two carries for 10 yards. Cobb's only pass attempt on the day fell incomplete. Cobb also caught a pass on a two-point conversion try.
· Michigan's Denard Robinson completed 10-of-16 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns during a 42-35 win over Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 2. The QB also rushed 19 times for 217 yards and two touchdowns.
· Indiana's Tandon Doss had a big day with 15 receptions for 221 yards, six rushes for 22 yards, one punt return for 10 yards, and five kickoff returns for 111 yards. The WR racked up a total of 363 all-purpose yards during the 42-35 loss to Michigan.
A weekly, up-to-date rundown of the individual accomplishments of each player on the Watch List can be found on the official website of the Paul Hornung Award at www.paulhornungaward.com.
Past Weekly Honorees
Week Five: Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Denard Robinson (Michigan) and Tandon Doss (Indiana)
Week Four: Owen Marecic (Stanford), Jeremy Kerley (TCU), Trent Richardson (Alabama), Terrell Pryor (Ohio State), Trey Burton (Florida), Jerrel Jernigan (Troy), DJ Woods (Cincinnati) and Titus Young (Boise State)
Week Three: Jeremy Kerley (TCU), James Rodgers (Oregon State), DeMarco Murray (Oklahoma), Trent Richardson (Alabama) and Torrey Smith (Maryland).
Week Two: Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Denard Robinson (Michigan), Jeffery Demps (Florida), Jerrel Jernigan (Troy), Joe Lefeged (Rutgers), Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers), Kenjon Barner (Oregon), Owen Marecic (Stanford), Keshawn Martin (Michigan State).
Week One: Dwayne Harris (East Carolina), Brandon Bing (Rutgers), Demaris Johnson (Tulsa), Austin Pettis (Boise State), Kenjon Barner (Oregon), Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Patrick Peterson (LSU), Jerrel Jernigan (Troy) and Jeremy Kerley (TCU).
A weekly, up-to-date rundown of the individual accomplishments of each player on the Watch List can be found on the official website of the Paul Hornung Award at www.paulhornungaward.com.
Paul Hornung Award
Created by the Louisville Sports Commission, the Paul Hornung Award is designed to recognize versatile, high-level performers in major college football and help preserve the legacy of one of Kentucky's best known athletes. A panel of experts will select the inaugural winner in early January 2011. The votes will be tabulated by Dean Dorton Allen Ford. Hornung is considered by many the best all-around player in the history of college and pro football. He won the 1956 Heisman Trophy at quarterback for Notre Dame and was the No. 1 pick in the 1957 NFL draft. He played every position in the backfield during his career with the Irish, where he also punted, kicked, returned kicks and played defensive back and was a multi-threat offensive back and prolific kicker in the pros. He was a member of four NFL championship teams as an all-pro halfback for the Green Bay Packers and led the NFL in scoring 1959-60-61, set the single season scoring record in 1960 with 176 points and was named League MVP following the 1961 season. Legendary Packers Coach Vince Lombardi called Hornung, "The most versatile man ever to play the game." Paul is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and resides in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. More information go to www.paulhornungaward.com.
Patrick Peterson of LSU Wins Jim Thorpe Defender of the Week
Photo - CB Patrick Peterson - LSU
LSU junior cornerback junior Patrick Peterson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) had four solo tackles and made two acrobatic interceptions in the Tigers’ 29-7 win vs Mississippi St. Peterson got his first interception off Bulldog quarterback Chris Relf at the LSU two-yard line where he first tipped the ball away from the receiver then caught it and returned it 46 yards. Peterson also picked off Tyler Russell in the fourth quarter to cap off the win and added a kickoff return for 39 yards.
Peterson was one of the nation’s best defensive backs named to the 2010 Jim Thorpe Award preseason “watch list” and is a leading candidate for this year’s trophy. He is ranked the #1 pro cornerback prospect in our newly published Draft Insiders' Pro Prospect Preview for the NFL Draft 2011. Available now on order page.
Honorable Mention Players for Week Three:
Cornerback Desmond Marrow, Toledo-Marrow had 10 tackles and added two interceptions in Toledo’s 37-24 win at Western Michigan. Marrow returned one interception 15-yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to open a 31-7 lead.
Cornerback Rashad Carmichael, Virginia Tech - Carmichael keyed a second half comeback for the Hokies in the 49-27 win vs East Carolina with a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and then intercepted his second pass of the game on the next drive.
Strong Safety DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson - McDaniel had six tackles, forced and recovered a fumble and had a tackle for loss in Clemson’s 27-24 overtime loss to Auburn.
Cornerback Anthony Gaitor, Florida International - Gaitor gave FIU a 20-6 lead in the third quarter when he picked off Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson and took the interception 54 yards for a touchdown. Gaitor also forced a fumble and added a sack in the Golden Panther’s near upset.
Strong Safety Anthony Perkins, Colorado - Perkins had six tackles, five solo, a fumble recovery, and a third down tackle for loss that resulted a safety that cut the Hawai’i lead to 10-9 and completed a momentum swing over to Colorado in their 31-13 win.
About the Jim Thorpe Award:
The Jim Thorpe Award is one of college football’s most sought after and prestigious awards. It is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was an awesome defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as “The Legend”, Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.
The candidates for the award are selected by a “screening committee” of Jim Thorpe Association members who follow several players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee then narrows the field three finalists and the names of these finalists are submitted to a national panel of about 50 sports writers, sportscasters, coaches and former players who vote to determine the winner.
The presentation of Jim Thorpe Award will be featured on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards live on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The show, hosted by ESPN’s Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit will feature the live presentation of nine player awards, along with the recipients of Disney’s Spirit Award; The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, the NCFAA (National College Football Awards Association) Contributions to College Football Award; and student-athletes selected to the Walter Camp All-America Team.
Each week, the Jim Thorpe award will announce a winner after candidates are issued by the school, the conference and distinguished committee members. The weekly winner will be announced every Thursday at www.jimthorpeassoc.org
Frank Coyle is a longtime Member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Jim Thorpe, Outland, Nagurski, etc. He is also a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards.
Five Named as "Paul Hornung's Most Versatile Performances of the Week"
Five players from around the nation have been named "Paul Hornung's Most Versatile Performances of the Week," it was announced Monday by Paul Hornung and the Louisville Sports Commission. The weekly award honorees highlight elite performances from the previous week in college football that display the same versatility on the field as the legendary Paul Hornung.
Week Three Honorees:
Photo - WR/RS Jeremy Kerley - Texas Christian
* TCU's Jeremy Kerley had four punt returns for 84 yards, six receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns, and four carries for 49 yards in a 45-10 win over Baylor on Sept. 18.
* Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray had 110 rushing yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns. He added five receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. He had one kick return for 39 yards in a 27-24 win over Air Force on Sept. 18 in Norman.
* Alabama's Trent Richardson had two kick returns for 114 yards, seven carries for 61 yard with one touchdown and one reception for nine yards in a 62-13 win over Duke in Durham on Sept. 18. His 91 yard kickoff return for touchdown was the first for an Alabama player since 2004. Richardson also became the 51st Crimson Tide player to rush for 1,000 career yards in a career with his 61-yard performance against Duke.
* Oregon State's James Rodgers had four kick returns for 161 yards, three catches for 27 yards, two carries for 12 yards and two punt returns for 43 yards in a 35-28 win over Louisville on Sept. 18 in Corvallis.
* Maryland's Torrey Smith had a big day receiving with three catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He also had four kick off returns for 93 yards to total 242 total yards in a 31-17 loss to West Virginia.
A weekly, up-to-date rundown of the individual accomplishments of each player on the Watch List can be found on the official website of the Paul Hornung Award at www.paulhornungaward.com.
Past Weekly Honorees
Week Two: Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Denard Robinson (Michigan), Jeffery Demps (Florida), Jerrel Jernigan (Troy), Joe Lefeged (Rutgers), Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers), Kenjon Barner (Oregon), Owen Marecic (Stanford), Keshawn Martin (Michigan State).
Week One: Dwayne Harris (East Carolina), Brandon Bing (Rutgers), Demaris Johnson (Tulsa), Austin Pettis (Boise State), Kenjon Barner (Oregon), Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Patrick Peterson (LSU), Jerrel Jernigan (Troy) and Jeremy Kerley (TCU).
Paul Hornung Award
Created by the Louisville Sports Commission, the Paul Hornung Award is designed to recognize versatile, high-level performers in major college football and help preserve the legacy of one of Kentucky's best known athletes. A panel of experts will select the inaugural winner in early January 2011. The votes will be tabulated by Dean Dorton Allen Ford. Hornung is considered by many the best all-around player in the history of college and pro football. He won the 1956 Heisman Trophy at quarterback for Notre Dame and was the No. 1 pick in the 1957 NFL draft. He played every position in the backfield during his career with the Irish, where he also punted, kicked, returned kicks and played defensive back and was a multi-threat offensive back and prolific kicker in the pros. He was a member of four NFL championship teams as an all-pro halfback for the Green Bay Packers and led the NFL in scoring 1959-60-61, set the single season scoring record in 1960 with 176 points and was named League MVP following the 1961 season. Legendary Packers Coach Vince Lombardi called Hornung, "The most versatile man ever to play the game." Paul is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and resides in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. More information go to www.paulhornungaward.com.
