Oher Named to Lombardi Award Watch List

HOUSTON, Texas Ole Miss' Michael Oher was added to the updated Watch List for the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. The 38th annual Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia, honoring the top lineman in college football and benefiting the American Cancer Society, will be presented in Houston on December 5 at the Hilton Americas Hotel.

A junior from Memphis, Oher is also on the watch list for the 2007 Outland Trophy, presented to the nation's top interior lineman. He has been named a preseason first team All-America and selected as the nation' No. 3 offensive tackle and the SEC's Best Run Blocker by Lindy's. Oher has started 22 consecutive games over the last two seasons and helped Rebel tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis become a 1,000-yard runner a year ago.

The 60 new players have been added to the preliminary watch list announced in March based on various preseason honors. Although the 103 players now on the Watch List are representative of the nation's top football players, the list is not intended to serve as the actual ballot when first round voting begins in late September.

As recently as 2005, Elvis Dumervil, one of the final four finalists that year, was not included on the Watch List at the start of the season. Any player meeting 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.

Former Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Willis was a finalist for the Lombardi Award a year ago.

Rotary Lombardi Award 2007 Watch List

Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech
Jeff Akeroyd, OL, Houston
Sam Baker, OT, USC
Kirk Barton, OL, Ohio State
Tommy Blake, DE, TCU
Alex Boone, OL, Ohio State
Alvin Bowen, LB, Iowa State
Jasper Brinkley, LB, South Carolina
Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech
George Bussey, OT, Louisville
Ezra Butler, LB, Nevada
Terrill Byrd, DT, Cincinnati
Matt Castelo, LB, San Jose State
Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
Ian Campbell, DE, Kansas State
Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Chris Clark, OL, Southern Miss
Nelson Coleman, LB, Tulsa
Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
Maurice Crum, Jr, LB, Notre Dame
Matt Castelo, LB, San Jose State
Andrew Crummey, OG, Maryland
Kyle Cunningham, OT, Louisiana-Monroe
Bruce Davis, DE, UCLA
Ward Dobbs, LB, Wyoming
Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Keilen Dykes, DT, West Virginia
Kirk Elder, OG, Texas A&M
Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois
Eric Foster, DT, Rutgers
Drew Fowler, LB, Air Force
Jonathan Goff, LB, Vanderbilt
John Greco, OT, Toledo
Vernon Gholston, DL, Ohio State
Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn
Vince Hall, LB, Virginia Tech
Chris Harrington, DE, Texas A&M
Andrew Hartline, OL, Central Michigan
Brigham Harwell, DT, UCLA
Robert Henderson, DL, Southern Miss
Robby Heos, OL, Rice
Adam Hill, C, Louisiana-Monroe
Darius Hill, TE, Ball State
Tony Hills, OL, Texas
Louis Holmes, DE, Arizona
Dan Holtzclaw, LB, Eastern Michigan
Joey Hudson, LB, Miami (OH)
Philip Hunt, DL, Houston
Ken Iwebema, DL, Iowa
Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
Tavares Jones, DE, Middle Tennessee State
Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest
Thomas ?Red? Keith, LB, Central Michigan
James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
Trevor Laws, DE, Notre Dame
Doug Legursky, OL, Marshall
J Leman, LB, Illinois
Kory Lichtensteiger, OL, Bowling Green
Derek Lokey, DL, Texas
Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas
Alex Mack, C, California
Gerald McRath, LB, Southern Miss
Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
Albert McClellan, DE, Marshall
James McClinton, DL, Kansas
Drew Miller, OL, Florida
Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss
Frank Okam, DT, Texas
Chase Ortiz, DE, TCU
Michael Oher, OL, Ole Miss
Jeremy Perry, OG, Oregon State
Jason Phillips, LB, TCU
Josh Pinnick, DL, Florida Atlantic
Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State
DeMario Pressley, DT, NC State
Barry Richardson, OT, Clemson
Steve Rissler, C, Florida
Keith Rivers, LB, USC
Duke Robinson, OL, Oklahoma
Brandon Rodd, OL, Arizona State
Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
Bo Ruud, LB, Nebraska
Tom Santi, TE, Virginia
Matt Slauson, OL, Nebraska
John Sullivan, C, Notre Dame
Jacob Tamme, TE, Kentucky
Christian Taylor, LB, UCLA
Shannon Tevaga, OG, UCLA
Brandon Thompson, DE, Army
William VanDeSteeg, DL, Minnesota
David Vobora, LB, Idaho
Erik Walden, DL, Middle Tennessee State
Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M
Philip Wheeler, LB, Georgia Tech
Chris Williams, OL, Vanderbilt
Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky
Jeremy Zuttah, OL, Rutgers

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