2006 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST ANNOUNCED
DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America has announced the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for the 2006 season. Fifty-six standout players from around the country have been nominated for consideration in the preseason.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player in college football, has been a staple of the FWAA's awards since 1993. It is sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club, which has held the annual awards banquet since 1995.
The 2006 banquet is set for Monday, Dec. 4, at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, where five finalists will vie for the prize. Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil won the 2005 Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
The FWAA All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski winner from the association's 11-man All-America defensive team in late November. Players may be added from the Bronko Nagurski Watch List during the course of the 2005 season.
For the sixth straight season, the FWAA will select Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week, beginning with games the week of Sept. 2 and running through the middle of November. Each national player of the week will be added to the trophy's watch list throughout the season.
<pre>2006 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST<br>Player, School Pos. Cl. Hometown<br>Gaines Adams, Clemson DE Sr. Greenwood, S.C.<br>Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma LB Sr. Baton Rouge, La.<br>Antwan Applewhite, San Diego St DE Jr. Torrance, Calif.<br>Brandon Archer, Kansas State LB Sr. St. Paul, Minn.<br>Baraka Atkins, Miami, Fla. DL Sr. Sarasota, Fla.<br>Daniel Bazuin, Central Michigan DE Sr. McBain, Mich.<br>H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh LB Sr. Plantation, Fla.<br>Tommy Blake, TCU DE Jr. Aransas Pass, Texas<br>Keyonvis Bouie, Florida Int. LB Sr. Pahokee, Fla.<br>Mkristo Bruce, Washington State DE Sr. Renton, Wash.<br>Nick Bunting, Tulsa LB Sr. Tulsa, Okla.<br>Rob Caldwell, Navy LB Sr. St. John, Ind.<br>Adam Carriker, Nebraska DE Sr. Kennewick, Wash.<br>Brent Curvey, Iowa State DL Sr. Houston, Texas<br>Keyunta Dawson, Texas Tech DE Sr. Shreveport, La.<br>Joe Garcia, Nevada DB Sr. Westminster, Calif.<br>Courtney Greene, Rutgers DB So. New Rochelle, N.Y.<br>Michael Griffin, Texas S Sr. Austin, Texas<br>Korey Hall, Boise State LB Sr. Glenns Ferry, Idaho<br>Leon Hall, Michigan CB Sr. Vista, Calif.<br>Vince Hall, Virginia Tech LB Jr. Chesapeake, Va.<br>Marcus Hamilton, Virginia CB Sr. Centreville, Va.<br>Will Herring, Auburn LB Sr. Opelika, Ala.<br>David Herron, Michigan State LB Sr. Warren, Ohio<br>Loren Howard, Arizona State DE Sr. Scottsdale, Ariz.<br>Daymeion Hughes, California CB Sr. Los Angles, Calif.<br>Lawrence Jackson, USC DE Jr. Inglewood, Calif.<br>Cameron Jensen, BYU LB Sr. Bountiful, Utah<br>Jeremy Jones, UTEP LB Sr. San Jose, Calif.<br>LaRon Landry, LSU FS Sr. Ama, La.<br>Marcus McCauley, Fresno State CB Sr. Sacramento, Calif.<br>Kevin McLee, West Virginia LB Sr. Uniontown, Pa.<br>Larry McSwain, UAB DE Sr. Vigor, Ala.<br>Brandon Mebane, California DT Sr. Los Angles, Calif.<br>Brandon Meriweather, Miami, Fla DB Sr. Apopka, Fla.<br>Quentin Moses, Georgia DE Sr. Athens, Ga.<br>J.D. Nelson, Oregon FS Sr. Mountain View, Calif.<br>Stephen Nicholas, South Florida LB Sr. Jacksonville, Fla.<br>Sam Olajubutu, Arkansas LB Sr. LaGrange, Ga.<br>Chase Ortiz, TCU DE Jr. League City, Texas<br>Sabby Piscitelli, Oregon State S Sr. Boca Raton, Fla.<br>Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State DT Sr. Piqua, Ohio<br>Paul Posluszny, Penn State LB Sr. Aliquippa, Pa.<br>Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh DB Jr. Aliquippa, Pa.<br>Brandon Siler, Florida LB Jr. Orlando, Fla.<br>Brian Smith, Missouri DE Sr. Denton, Texas<br>Aqib Talib, Kansas CB So. Richardson, Texas<br>Kelly Talavou, Utah DL Sr. Santa Ana, Calif.<br>Thaddaeus Washington, Colorado LB Sr. Marrero, La.<br>Anthony Waters, Clemson LB Sr. Lake View, S.C.<br>Eric Weddle, Utah DB Sr. Alta Loma, Calif.<br>John Wendling, Wyoming S Sr. Rock Springs, Wyo.<br>Eric Wicks, West Virginia DB Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa.<br>Patrick Willis, Mississippi LB Sr. Bruceton, Tenn.<br>LaMarr Woodley, Michigan LB Sr. Saginaw, Mich.<br>Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame DB Sr. Arlington Heights, Ill.</pre>Players may be added or deleted from the list before or during the season
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 900 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.
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C. region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or
[email protected]). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is
www.touchdownclub.com.
For more information on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or
[email protected]).