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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Patrick Willis Named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List
6/8/2006 | Football
June 8, 2006
DALLAS - Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Willis is among 56 players named on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for the 2006 season, as announced Thursday by the Football Writers Association of America. The award is given to the best defensive player in college football and has been a staple of the FWAA's awards since 1993.
A 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior from Bruceton, Tenn., Willis has also been named to watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, Rotary Lombardi Award and the Lott Trophy. He has earned preseason first team All-America honors from a host of publications and was distinguished as the nation's No. 1 inside linebacker by The Sporting News and Lindy's.
Willis finished the 2005 campaign as the NCAA leader in solo tackles (9.00) and ranked No. 6 in the nation in total tackles (12.80, which topped the Southeastern Conference). At season's end, he was selected as a first team All-America by the All-American Football Foundation and CollegeFootballNews.com.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy 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 to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List during the course of the 2006 season.
For the sixth straight year, 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.
2006 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST*
Gaines Adams, ClemsonRufus Alexander, OklahomaAntwan Applewhite, San Diego StateBrandon Archer, Kansas StateBaraka Atkins, Miami (Fla.)Daniel Bazuin, Central MichiganH.B. Blades, PittsburghTommy Blake, TCUKeyonvis Bouie, Florida InternationalMkristo Bruce, Washington StateNick Bunting, TulsaRob Caldwell, NavyAdam Carriker, NebraskaBrent Curvey, Iowa StateKeyunta Dawson, Texas TechJoe Garcia, NevadaCourtney Greene, RutgersMichael Griffin, TexasKorey Hall, Boise StateLeon Hall, MichiganVince Hall, Virginia TechMarcus Hamilton, VirginiaWill Herring, AuburnDavid Herron, Michigan StateLoren Howard, Arizona StateDaymeion Hughes, CaliforniaLawrence Jackson, USCCameron Jensen, BYUJeremy Jones, UTEPLaRon Landry, LSUMarcus McCauley, Fresno StateKevin McLee, West VirginiaLarry McSwain, UABBrandon Mebane, CaliforniaBrandon Meriweather, MiamiQuentin Moses, GeorgiaJ.D. Nelson, OregonStephen Nicholas, South FloridaSam Olajubutu, ArkansasChase Ortiz, TCUSabby Piscitelli, Oregon StateQuinn Pitcock, Ohio StatePaul Posluszny, Penn StateDarrelle Revis, PittsburghBrandon Siler, FloridaBrian Smith, MissouriAqib Talib, KansasKelly Talavou, UtahThaddaeus Washington, ColoradoAnthony Waters, ClemsonEric Weddle, UtahJohn Wendling, WyomingEric Wicks, West VirginiaPatrick Willis, Ole MissLaMarr Woodley, MichiganTom Zbikowski, Notre Dame
* Players may be added or deleted from the list before or during the season
