Miami Lands Three on Lombardi Watch List
July 12, 2011
CORAL GABLES, Fla.- Hurricanes Marcus Forston, Sean Spence and Brandon Washington were each included on the preseason watch list for the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award, which names the nation’s best college lineman.
Forston rebounded from an ankle injury in 2009 to start 12 of 13 games last season, recording 37 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss (second most on the team), three quarterback sacks and an interception. This marks the third preseason watch list the defensive lineman has been named to this year. Last week, Forston was named to the 2011 Outland Trophy watch list alongside Washington. The same day, he was included on the Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list alongside teammates Canes Ray-Ray Armstrong and Spence.
Spence enters his senior season with several honors to his name including the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. The linebacker finished the 2010 season ranked fifth in the ACC in tackles with 111, earning second team all-conference honors. Alongside Armstrong, the senior was listed on the Bednarik Award watch list last week and the Pony Express Award watch list last month.
Spence was also included on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski award last Friday – with Armstrong and Forston – making this latest list the fourth he has been included on this year.
Washington enters his junior season after a standout sophomore campaign in 2010, when the offensive lineman was named to the All-ACC First Team.
The only other Hurricane to receive this coveted award was Warren Sapp in 1994. That same year, Sapp was also awarded the Nagurski Trophy, which honors college football’s top defensive player. A consensus All-American, he finished sixth in the Heisman voting before being drafted 12th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1995 NFL Draft.
Miami is tied for second in the ACC with Florida State on the list in number of players chosen with three. The conference had 16 players chosen total, with North Carolina leading the conference in players listed with four.
This marks the 42nd year of the Rotary Lombardi Award’s existence. The 2011 award reception will be held on December 6-7 at Reliant Center in Houston, Texas.
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