123 Players Named to Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
Jan 1, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Corey Coleman (1) runs the ball under pressure from UCF Knights linebacker Terrance Plummer (41) during the first quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium during the Fiesta Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
123 players, comprised from 76 universities, have been named to the 2014 Rotary Lombardi Award watch list.
The award is presented to the college lineman of the year by the Rotary Club of Houston.
The award can be presented to either an offensive or defensive player. The official definition to be considered for the award is as follows: “[e]ligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.”
Of the 123 players named to the list, only five are applicable to us.
UCF senior linebacker Terrance Plummer is their only representative, while Florida State continue to dominate the preseason watch lists as they have four in defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., and offensive linemen Cameron Erving, Tre Jackson and Josue Matias.
Neither USF or Florida had any nominations.
Edwards Jr., Erving, Jackson and Matias were all recently named to the Outland Trophy watch list, while Edwards Jr. was also named to the Bednarik Award watch list.
Plummer was also added to the Butkus Award watch list today, given annually to the nation’s best linebacker by the Butkus Foundation.
Last season, Plummer had 110 tackles, 8.5 sacks and two interceptions. He won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP after UCF beat Baylor 52-42 in a wild shootout and was also named an All-American Athletic Conference First Team member. He was also named UCF’s outstanding defensive player at their awards banquet.
Aaron Donald of Pitt was the 2013 winner of the Rotary Lombardi Award while Alabama’s C.J. Mosley won the Butkus Award.