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SMU Football News
8-10-06
Rogers Added To Lombardi Award Watch List
HOUSTON - SMU defensive end Justin Rogers was one of 58 players that
have been added to the Rotary Lombardi Award's Watch List, the
organization announced Thursday, Aug. 10. The 37th Rotary Lombardi
Award, presented by Wachovia Bank, honors the top lineman in college
football while raising funds for the American Cancer Society. The award
will be presented in Houston on Dec. 6 at the Hilton Americas Hotel.
Rogers, a senior from Greenville, Texas, earned second-team All-C-USA
honors a year ago and shared SMU Defensive MVP honors with Rolando
Humphrey and Joe Sturdivant. He led Conference USA in sacks with seven
and ranked in the top 10 in tackles-for-loss and forced fumbles. He has
also been named a preseason honorable mention All-American by Street &
Smith.
The new players were added to the preliminary list of 43 players who
were announced in March. The new additions are players who have been
highlighted in various pre-season honors lists. While the 101 players
currently on the Watch List represent many of the top honors candidates
in the country, the list is not intended to serve as the actual ballot
when first round voting begins in late September.
Any player who meets the basic award criteria (a down lineman on either
side of the ball--including tight ends, and linebackers who line up
within five yards of the ball) is eligible to receive votes. In each of
the past two years (Erasmus James in 2004 and Elvis Dumervil in 2005) an
eventual finalist for the award was not included on the Watch List at
the start of the season.
This year's list is almost evenly divided between offensive and
defensive players, with 54 defenders and 47 offensive players currently
listed.
Founded in the weeks following the death of legendary football coach
Vince Lombardi from cancer in 1970, the Rotary Lombardi Award, presented
by Wachovia Bank, has annually delivered upon the mission set forth by
Marie Lombardi when she first granted the use of her late husband's
name. Her only stipulation was that all net proceeds from the event be
donated to the American Cancer Society and millions of dollars have been
generated since that time. In addition to generating the annual donation
to ACS, attendees to the 2005 combined to sponsor 31 pediatric cancer
patients for a week at Camp Discovery, a camp near Kerrville, Texas,
dedicated to bringing the joy and fun of summer camp to young cancer
patients.
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