Toledo's Church, Temple's Neblett Named To Nagurski Watch List
DALLAS (FWAA) - Six Football Writers Association of America All-Americans are among 62 players selected to the 2009 Bronko Nagurski Watch List, announced today by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Included on the list are two Mid-American Conference student-athletes, Toledo's Barry Church and Temple's Andre Neblett.
Neblett is a three-year starter at nose tackle for the Owls. A two-time All-Mid-American Conference honoree, he started all 36 games of his career. Last fall, Neblett finished the season with 36 tackles, 7.5 for a loss, two forced fumbles, a recovery, and a sack. He is also a candidate for the Rotary Lombardi Award. Last week, Neblett was also named to the Watch List for the 2009 Outland Trophy, presented annually to the nation's best interior lineman.
Church is a three-time first-team All-MAC selection. He has a chance to become only the second Rocket in school history to earn first-team all-league honors in four consecutive seasons. Nick Kaczur (2001-04) of the New England Patriots is the other. Church has 256 tackles and eight interceptions in his career as a Rocket. This is the second consecutive season that Church has been named to the Nagurski Watch List. Earlier this month, Church was named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. The Thorpe Award is presented to the best defensive back in the country.
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.
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.
Each week during the 2009 season, the FWAA will choose a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week. If the selected player is not on the watch list, he automatically will be added. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on November 18 or 19.
The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet will be on Dec. 7 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Besides the 2009 winner being announced, the banquet will also celebrate the winner of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, presented by CSX Intermodal. Defensive back Roger Wehrli, a standout for the University of Missouri and the St. Louis Cardinals, is being honored from the FWAA's 1968 All-American team.
2009 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON 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 State
Morgan Burnett, DB, Georgia Tech
Kam Chancellor, DB, Virginia Tech
Barry Church, DB, Toledo
Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
Kurt Coleman, DB, Ohio State
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
Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State
Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
Brandon Lang, DE, Troy
Sean Lee, LB, Penn State
Mark LeGree, DB, Appalachian State
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 State
Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke
Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia
Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
Joe Pawelek, LB, Baylor
Brian Price, DT, UCLA
Boo Robinson, NG, Wake Forest
George Selvie, DE, USF
Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Arkansas
D'Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech
Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
Darrell Stuckey, DB, Kansas
Quan Sturdivant, LB, North Carolina
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Syd'Quan Thompson, DB, California
Walter Thurmond III, DB, Oregon
Torrell Troup, DT, UCF
Alterraun Verner, DB, UCLA
T.J. Ward, DB, Oregon
Daryl Washington, LB, TCU
Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
Deunta Williams, FS, North Carolina
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
C.J. Wilson, DE, East Carolina
Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern
Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland
Willie Young, DE, N.C. State
