This is the 13th in a series of stories on Outland Trophy winners from 2006 to 2020. From 1946 to 2005, the first 60 Outland Trophy winners were profiled in the book 60 Years of the Outland Trophy by Gene Duffey. In celebration of the Outland Trophy’s 75th Anniversary we are catching up with the last 15 recipients.
(Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was selected No. 3 overall by the New York Jets in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played 13 games as a rookie, making 28 tackles, registering 2.5 sacks and collecting a sack. Last season with the Jets, Williams made 55 total tackles (32 unassisted). He had 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.)
By Gene Duffey, Author
It is a short hop down Interstate 59 from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa, Alabama–just 57 miles southwest to the exit at McFarland Boulevard. Although almost neighbors, that distance meant worlds apart to a young Quinnen Williams.
The promising defensive lineman from Birmingham’s Wenonah High School took official visits to Auburn and Mississippi. He committed to Auburn.
Then, Alabama’s Nick Saban called with a scholarship. The King of college football was offering the keys to the castle. Talk about an offer too good to refuse.
Williams, who would go on to claim the Outland Trophy at Alabama in 2018, was a quiet kid, unusual for a position where ferocity is considered a key ingredient.
“He was in the shell a little bit (when he arrived), but he was a good football player,” said Karl Dunbar, Alabama’s defensive line coach at the time.
Quinnen wasn’t shy by nature. There was a reason for that shell. His mother, Marquischa, a first-grade teacher, died of breast cancer Aug. 10, 2010 when he was only 12. She was just 37.
Losing a mother at any age is difficult. When one is 12, it makes it even tougher.
Marquischa Williams was an Auburn fan. Quinnen’s older brother, Quincy, played linebacker at FCS Murray State and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Quinnen took it the hardest,” Quincy told Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated about Marquishca’s passing. “He was a momma’s boy, the one with the big heart. The only person he talks to about it is me. When we do talk, I let him know every single time how proud she is looking down at us.”
The FWAA is now accepting applications for the 25th annual Volney Meece Scholarship.
For an application please email Dave Sittler at davesitt@aol.com.
Applications must be received by Dec. 15, 2021.
The scholarship is awarded annually by the FWAA and named for the late Volney Meece, who served 22 years as the FWAA’s Executive Director and was the organization’s President in 1971.
The $1,000 annual grant for four years is awarded to a deserving son or daughter of an FWAA member. High school seniors and current college students are eligible. Since the program started in 1997, the FWAA has distributed more than $90,000 in scholarship money to deserving children of FWAA members.
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Washington (45), Indiana (43), Penn State (30), Iowa (20), Utah (17), Texas (16), Ole Miss (8), TCU (8), Northwestern (7), Liberty (7), Arizona State (7), Florida State (5), BYU (5), Coastal Carolina (4), Oklahoma State (3), Louisiana (3), Auburn (2), Boston College (1).
NOTES: Defending national champion Alabama dominated the preseason poll with 35 of 52 first-place votes. Clemson was second in the poll voting, 66 points behind Alabama, with other perennial powerhouses Oklahoma and Ohio State following in that order.
Georgia, the only team to receive first-place votes other than the top four, was No. 5, followed by Texas A&M, Iowa State, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Cincinnati as the top 10 vote-getters. The Bearcats were the only non-Power Five team in the poll.
If the opening poll is reflective of what will happen at the conclusion of the 2021 season, then college football will see more of the same from recent seasons. Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State have accounted for 11 of the 14 spots in the seven CFP National Championships. And Oklahoma has made three semifinal game appearances during that stretch.
In the 2021 preseason poll, the SEC led all conferences with five teams and was followed by the ACC with three teams. The Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 had two teams each, the American one and Independents one.
GAMES WEEK 0: No games involving Top 16 Teams
GAMES WEEK 1 (Sept. 2-5): No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Miami [FL] – Sept. 4 (Atlanta) No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 5 Georgia – Sept. 4 (Charlotte) No. 3 Oklahoma at Tulane – Sept. 4 No. 4 Ohio State at Minnesota – Sept. 2 Kent State at No. 6 Texas A&M – Sept. 4 Northern Iowa at No.7 Iowa State – Sept. 4 No. 8 Notre Dame at Florida State – Sept. 5 No. 9 North Carolina at Virginia Tech – Sept. 3 Miami [OH] at No. 10 Cincinnati – Sept. 4 Fresno State at No. 11 Oregon – Sept. 4 Florida Atlantic at No. 12 Florida – Sept. 4 Penn State at No. 13 Wisconsin – Sept. 4 No. 14 LSU at UCLA – Sept. 4 San Jose State at No. 15 USC – Sept. 4
ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16-POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16-Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013-season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16-teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2021-season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public here. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 7-(to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 5. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings. The JBoy Show is the official Media Partner of the poll.
ABOUT THE FWAA: The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information visit http://www.footballwriters.com.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947-with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at http://www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.
This is the 12th in a series on Outland Trophy winners from 2006 to 2020. From 1946 to 2005, Outland Trophy winners were profiled in a book by Gene Duffey, Sixty Years of the Outland Trophy. We are catching up with the last 15 winners.
(Defensive tackle Ed Oliver was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, ninth overall by the Buffalo Bills. He begins his third season with the Bills this fall. In his first two seasons Oliver has played in 32 games and started 23 of those. He has 76 total tackles in his first two seasons, 29 of those assisted and eight sacks. Oliver has forced two fumbles and deflected five passes.)
By Gene Duffey, Author
The University of Houston’s Ed Oliver grew up wanting to be first. So far, so good. He wasn’t the first born in his family, having to settle for being the third of four boys, but he couldn’t help that.
He wanted to be the first one remembered among the string of outstanding defensive linemen to come out of Westfield High School in Houston. Check. He wanted to be the first five-star recruit to play at the University of Houston. Check. He wanted to become the first sophomore to win the Outland Trophy. Check.
“I was the first to do a lot of things,” he said. “I was the first recruit this high to come to Houston. I take pride in being the first sophomore to win the Outland. That’s an amazing accomplishment. I could have done it as a freshman. See, I’m kind of hard on myself.”
Ed Oliver’s value system is different from most. Good is never good enough. The best can still be better.
“I do things differently,” he said. “I have a different mindset. Sometimes I get down on myself. I just want to work out and get better. The more people tell me I’m good, the more I come down on myself. Nobody could be harder on myself than me.
“Even though I might sugar coat it in front of people, it’s always in the back of my head what I did wrong. I could have done better on this play. When I watch film, I (look for) what I could have done better, not how good I am.”
Oliver began receiving extra attention from opposing offensive lines when he started on the varsity as a sophomore in high school. Double teams became a way of life.
He continued to prove himself worthy of the extra attention right away as a freshman in college. Oliver started the opening game of the 2016 season against No. 3 Oklahoma, made seven tackles, including two sacks, and helped the Cougars pull off a 33-23 upset of the Sooners.
This is the 11th in a series on Outland Trophy winners from 2006 to2020. From 1946 to 2005, Outland Trophy winners were profiled in a book by Gene Duffey, Sixty Years of the Outland Trophy. We are catching up with the last 15 winners.
(Offensive tackle Cam Robinson was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 34th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The fourth of six Alabama linemen (all since 1999) to win the Outland Trophy, Robinson has started and played in 47 games for the Jaguars since 2017.)
By Gene Duffey, Author
Pencil spotlight in on the football player. No, not Deshaun Watson, the star of Clemson’s 35-31 victory over Alabama to win the national championship in January 2017. Check out the other player nearby, the hulking guy in white, wearing No. 74.
ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi is interviewing Watson, the Tigers quarterback and star of the evening, who won the game with a touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with just two seconds to play.
Suddenly, from off camera, a huge Alabama player appears. Look at the guy. It’s Cam Robinson, the Crimson Tide’s oversized left tackle. Robinson shakes hands with Watson and whispers in his ear.
“I know him fairly well,” Robinson says the next day. “We were in the same recruiting class. I just wanted to congratulate him.”
It was a class move in a tough moment for Robinson. His Alabama team had just lost a chance to win back-to-back national championships by the narrowest of margins. The pain of the defeat will stay with Robinson.
“I have a hard time getting over the losses,” he says. “I think it’s going to linger for a while.”
Robinson didn’t lose very often in his three years at Alabama. He started all 44 games of his college career and lost only four times, twice to Mississippi and twice in the national playoffs. In addition to the Clemson defeat, the other occurred to eventual champion Ohio State in the semifinals as a true freshman.
He followed a long and winding road from West Monroe, Louisiana to claiming the 2016 Outland Trophy.
His first experience with organized football began in a YMCA league at age 7. Next, he moved on to touch football and eventually tackle.
Robinson started out on the defensive side of the ball, playing linebacker and defensive end. “It was fun,” he said.
Alabama’s Cam Robinson, winner of the 2016 Outland Trophy, addresses the audience at the Outland Trophy Presentation Banquet on Jan. 11, 2017, in Omaha. Photo by C41 Photography.
He didn’t switch to offense until his freshman year at Ouachita High School in Monroe, Louisiana where he began as a left tackle. “The offensive line coach and head coach asked me to move (to offense),” said Robinson. “It was something I was willing to do.”
Robinson began high school at Ouachita, where he played for two years. He transferred to West Monroe High School for his junior year. “I always wanted to go to West Monroe,” he said.
His older sister, Charity, played basketball at Ouachita and their mother, Priscilla, did not want her children to attend different high schools. When Charity went off to McNeese State, Cam transferred to West Monroe.
Cam played a little basketball himself in high school. He played his freshman year at Ouachita and his junior year at West Monroe before giving up the sport. “I wanted to be freer to focus on what I wanted to do,” said Robinson. Translation: Concentrate on football.
Robinson was a familiar name to the coaches at West Monroe before he arrived.
“We knew him since he was a little kid,” said Jerry Arledge, an assistant coach at West Monroe during Robinson’s time there and later the head coach. “His uncles went to school here and his grandparents live about two blocks from our stadium.”
Some people were upset at the school that Robinson left behind. “There were ill feelings from the Ouachita people,” said Arledge, adding that he heard charges of tampering. That means high school football is a very big deal in the area.
Robinson already weighed 325 pounds when he arrived at West Monroe. “He was the biggest kid I’ve ever seen,” said Arledge. “The thing so impressive about Cam is he’s got the greatest feet of any big kid I’ve seen.”
Arledge had inherited some football talent from his father, Steve Foley, who played at Northeast Louisiana. Foley went on to play linebacker for seven seasons in the NFL, five with the Cincinnati Bengals and one each with the Houston Texans and San Diego Chargers.
Cam’s junior year West Monroe reached the state semifinals. The Rebels built a 48-20 lead, then lost 49-48. “I didn’t play defense (in that game),” said Robinson. But the loss still hurt.
West Monroe went 9-3 Robinson’s senior season, losing 14-0 in the second round of the state playoffs to Central High School, near Baton Rouge.
Robinson did play some defensive end in high school when he “was needed.”
In his senior year the website 24/7 Sports rated Robinson the No. 2 prospect in Louisiana behind running back Leonard Fournette, who went on to LSU and became the No. 4 pick by Jacksonville in the 2017 NFL draft.
“You had to fire him up very little,” Arledge of Robinson. “No doubt in our mind (he would be this good). When you’re that size, you’re going to be the No. 1 pick in America.”
Michigan, Auburn and Arkansas joined the hunt for the big guy. Robinson finally narrowed his college choices to Alabama, LSU and Texas. “When I was young I was a huge LSU fan, even in high school,” he said. “When the recruiting process started it’s a different aspect.”
The winning tradition in Tuscaloosa sold him on the Crimson Tide. Alabama won the national championship in 2012, beating Notre Dame for the title, and won its first 11 games in 2013 before losing to Auburn on the infamous missed field goal return. Oklahoma then beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Robinson committed to Alabama just before the start of his senior year at West Monroe. Naturally, there was some resentment when he announced he would be leaving the state for Alabama, instead of enrolling at LSU.
“The Tigers don’t miss many (in Louisiana),” said Arledge. “(Robinson signing with Alabama) was one of the things that got the LSU offensive line coach fired.”
Robinson was able to graduate from high school in December and enrolled at Alabama for the spring semester.
“It was tough physically and mentally,” Robinson said of his early transition to college football. But he was glad he made the move to college one semester ahead of schedule, benefiting tremendously from spring practice.
“It helped me a lot,” he said. “I got a good grip on the playbook. Football wise, the talent level was much different.”
The left tackle position had been left open when Cyrus Kouandjio, the starter in 2013, left for the NFL. The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the second round in 2014, No. 44 overall.
Robinson handled the new challenge well enough to earn the starting left tackle spot in the spring as a true freshman.
“I was not surprised,” he said. “It was one of my goals. I came in and worked extremely hard.”
Alabama opened the 2014 season, with Robinson in the starting lineup, against West Virginia in the Georgia Dome in front of over 70,000.
“It was completely different from high school,” he said. “I think I played pretty well. I don’t think I gave up any sacks.”
Neither did Alabama. The Tide attack rolled to 538 yards of total offense and beat West Virginia, 33-23.
The Tide went 11-1 that season, losing only to Mississippi by six points in Oxford, then beat Missouri in the SEC Championship Game back in Atlanta. Ohio State stopped the Tide express in the national semifinals en route to the national championship.
Robinson and Alabama reached the summit in college football in 2015, winning the national championship with a pulsating 45-40 win over Clemson in the title game at Glendale, Arizona. “It’s the highest achievement,” said Robinson. “It was an exciting moment, overwhelming really.”
Robinson hit a bump in the road the following May. He was back home on a break before summer school started. He and Hootie Jones, a reserve safety and special teams player at Alabama who was also from Monroe, were arrested late at night in a local park for illegal possession of stolen firearms and possession of a controlled substance in Ouachita Parish.
Police officers smelled marijuana when they approached Robinson’s car. Robinson was seated in the driver’s seat.
Police spotted a handgun on Jones’ lap, who was sitting in the passenger seat. A bag of marijuana was found on the floor. A stolen handgun was also located under Robinson’s seat.
Jones and Robinson were released early the next morning on bonds.
Prosecutors decided not to pursue the case a month later for lack of evidence.
“I used it as a learning experience,” said Robinson.
After initially suspending both players indefinitely, Alabama coach Nick Saban allowed both back on the field for the start of the season. They both completed community service.
Louisiana district attorney Jerry D. Jones expressed sympathy for the Alabama athletes. “I want to emphasize once again that the main reason I’m doing this is that I refuse to ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and teenage years, working and sweating, while we were all in the air conditioning,” Jones told Ben Kercheval of CBS Sports.
In addition to his early success in games, Robinson continued to improve on the practice field. Attempting to block Jonathan Allen, the nation’s premier defensive tackle in 2016, made him better.
“Going against guys of that caliber has to help you,” said Robinson.
He identified the defensive ends who gave him the most trouble as Missouri’s Shane Ray, who went on to play linebacker for the Denver Broncos, and Mississippi State’s Preston Smith, who played linebacker for the Washington Football Team and now Green Bay.
When Ed Orgeron replaced Les Miles at coach at LSU in late September 2016, he was asked about the Tigers’ offensive line. “The one that’s the left tackle at Alabama should be here,” Orgeron said, remembering Robinson’s roots. “So, we need to get better.”
In his three years at Tuscaloosa, Robinson gained an appreciation for Saban.
“I don’t think he’s as bad as people think he is,” said Robinson. “He’s more laid back than people think.”
Robinson suffered a sprained knee one Saturday in practice his sophomore year and injured a shoulder in the fourth quarter of a win over Chattanooga in November of his junior year. But he never missed a start.
Robinson said he never thought about winning the Outland Trophy, even though he had helped the Tide average over 40 points and 477 yards of total offense per game in 2016, his junior year. Alabama’s offensive line gave up barely one sack a game.
Near the end of November Robinson was named a finalist, along with two other offensive linemen, Ohio State center Pat Elflein and Washington State guard Cody O’Connell.
In December 2016, the announcement was made at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta when Robinson became the Crimson Tide’s fourth Outland Trophy recipient. After the 2020 season, Alabama has six Outland Trophy winners, five of them offensive linemen — all since 1999.
“It was an exciting moment, overwhelming really,”‘ Robinson said. “I got up and gave my little talk. I wasn’t nervous.”
This is the 10th in a series of stories on Outland Trophy winners from 2006 to 2020. From 1946 to 2005, the first 60 Outland Trophy winners were profiled in the book 60 Years of the Outland Trophy by Gene Duffey. In celebration of the Outland Trophy’s 75th Anniversary we are catching up with the last 15 recipients.
(Guard Joshua Garnett was selected 28th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Garnett played in 15 games and started 11 as a rookie for the 49ers. A series of injuries starting in 2017 would basically curtail his stay with the 49ers, and he was released before the start of the 2019 regular season. Garnett retired in October 2020.)
By Gene Duffey, Author
Some people think of Stanford, known for its fine academics and lineage of great quarterbacks, as the high and mighty of college football. But its linemen have proved they can get down and dirty when need be.
The Stanford offensive linemen nicknamed themselves the “Tunnel Union Workers” around 2008. The idea came from offensive tackle Chris Marinelli of Braintree, Massachusetts. Marinelli’s father worked construction on the Big Dig in Boston, a huge project that rerouted Interstate 93 under the city and connected Logan Airport to downtown. It took 15 years to complete and cost $14.6 billion.
“A lot of people didn’t understand it,” guard Joshua Garnett said of the nickname. “You have to bring your hardhat and earn your stripes. We took a lot of pride in that.”
“It’s a cool tradition,” added left tackle Kyle Murphy, who played next to Garnett.
Their names may not be as well-known as former Stanford quarterbacks Frankie Albert, John Brodie, Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett, someone named John Elway and Andrew Luck. But Stanford’s offensive linemen in the last decade or so have included several All-Americans … enter Chase Beeler in 2010, tackle Jonathan Martin in 2011, guard David DeCastro in 2011, guard-tackle David Yankey in 2013 and tackle Andrus Peat in 2014.
DeCastro was an Outland finalist in 2011, and Yankey was a semifinalist in 2013.
Garnett fit right in. He became Stanford’s first Outland Trophy winner in 2015. The senior from Puyallup, Wash. helped Stanford to a 12-2 record, including a Rose Bowl rout of Iowa.
Garnett’s father, Scott, played nose guard at Washington in the early 1980s.
DALLAS – The Football Writers Association of America released its 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List today, selecting 90 defensive standouts from 61 schools in all 10 Division I FBS conferences plus independents on a roster that includes seven returning players from last season’s FWAA All-America team, another from the 2019 team, the nation’s top four tacklers from a year ago, three of the top seven sack leaders and one of the interception leaders.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists and honored at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet presented by LendingTree on Dec. 6 at the Charlotte Convention Center. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 17.
All three returning FWAA first-team All-Americans leading off the list are in the secondary – cornerbacks Ahmad Gardner of Cincinnati and Tiawan Mullen of Indiana, along with Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. Three players from last year’s second team All-America defense also top the outstanding list, linebacker Nate Landman of Colorado, safety Tykee Smith of Georgia (a transfer from West Virginia), and end Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon.
Will McDonald, an end, is one of three Iowa State defenders on the list after tying for the national sack lead last year at 10.5, joining linebacker Mike Rose, who tied for third in the country in interceptions with six, and safety Greg Eisworth. Cade Hall led San Jose State’s surprise season a year ago from his end spot and tied for third nationally with 10.0 sacks. TCU boasts two players, led by end Ochaun Mathis, who tied for fifth with 9.0 sacks a year ago. The Big 12 has four schools (adding Baylor and Oklahoma) with at least a pair of players on the team.
The top four total tackles leaders from 2020, each of them a linebacker, also highlight the list. Auburn’s Zakoby McClain and Carlton Martial of Troy each claimed the title with 113 total tackles each, with Arkansas’ Grant Morgan (111) and N.C. State’s Payton Wilson (108) just behind. McClain and Morgan are the returning leaders of the 20-player SEC contingent that is spread among nine schools. Defending national champion Alabama leads the national team list with six players – defensive tackles DJ Dale and Phidarian Mathis, linebackers Will Anderson Jr. and Christian Harris, cornerback Josh Jobe and safety Malachi Moore. A Georgia trio led by defensive tackle Jordan Davis leads six different SEC schools have at least two players on the list.
Safety Brandon Joseph of Northwestern tied for the national interception lead last year with six and complements Hamilton and Smith as the watch list’s returning secondary leaders along with LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr., who was an FWAA First Team All-America cornerback in 2019. The Big Ten is second among the conferences with 13 players from 10 different schools, with national runner-up Ohio State as its leader with three – tackle Haskell Garrett, end Zach Harrison and cornerback Sevyn Banks.
Clemson has four players on the team to make up half of the ACC contingent – tackle Bryan Breese, end Myles Murphy, linebacker James Skalski and safety Nolan Turner – and Georgia, Iowa State, Ohio State and Oklahoma are next as teams with three players each. Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Cincinnati, Indiana, LSU, Missouri, Notre Dame, San Diego State, TCU, Troy, USC and Washington have two apiece.
This year’s watch list includes at least four players from all 10 FBS conferences plus five from the independent schools. The SEC led the conference list with 20 with the Big Ten (13) and Big 12 (11) just behind, making up half of the list. The list includes 29 linebackers, 22 backs, 22 ends and 17 tackles.
2021 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (90)
LB Blaze Alldredge, Missouri
DE DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
LB Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
LB Devin Lloyd, Utah
CB Sevyn Banks, Ohio State
DE DeAngelo Malone, WKU
LB Terrel Bernard, Baylor
LB Carlton Martial, Troy
S Bubba Bolden, Miami
LB Brandon Martin, Ball State
LB Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
DE Ochaun Mathis, TCU
DE Thomas Booker, Stanford
DT Phidarian Mathis, Alabama
DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson
LB Zakoby McClain, Auburn
DT C.J. Brewer, Coastal Carolina
LB Caden McDonald, San Diego State
S Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
DE Will McDonald, Iowa State
LB Troy Brown, Central Michigan
CB Trent McDuffie, Washington
S Jalen Catalon, Arkansas
LB Micah McFadden, Indiana
DT Will Choloh, Troy
LB Kristopher Moll, UAB
DT Nolan Cockrill, Army
S Smoke Monday, Auburn
DT D.J. Dale, Alabama
S Malachi Moore, Alabama
DT Jordan Davis, Georgia
LB Grant Morgan, Arkansas
LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia
LB Darius Muasau, Hawaii
LB JoJo Domann, Nebraska
CB Tiawan Mullen, Indiana
DT Jamare Edwards, Marshall
DE Myles Murphy, Clemson
S Greg Eisworth, Iowa State
DT Dion Novil, North Texas
CB Kaiir Elam, Florida
DE Scott Patchan, Colorado State
DE Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
S Jalen Pitre, Baylor
LB Diego Fagot, Navy
DT Jaxon Player, Tulsa
LB Olakunle Fatukasi, Rutgers
CB Eli Ricks, LSU
CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
LB Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State
DT Haskell Garrett, Ohio State
LB Mike Rose, Iowa State
LB Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech
LB Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin
DE Cade Hall, San Jose State
DE Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
LB James Skalski, Clemson
LB Jake Hansen, Illinois
S Tykee Smith, Georgia
LB Christian Harris, Alabama
CB Chris Steele, USC
DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
DT Dante Stills, West Virginia
CB Tre’vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
CB Derek Stingley, LSU
DT Ralph Holley, Western Michigan
DE Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, Notre Dame
DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
DE Demetrius Taylor, App State
DE Drake Jackson, USC
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
DE Trajan Jeffcoat, Missouri
DE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
CB Josh Jobe, Alabama
DE Isaiah Thomas, Oklahoma
DT Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
S Bralen Trahan, Louisiana
DE Durrell Johnson, Liberty
S Nolan Turner, Clemson
DE Tyler Johnson, Arizona State
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
S Brandon Joseph, Northwestern
DT Raymond Vohasek, North Carolina
DT Calijah Kancey, Pitt
LB Payton Wilgar, BYU
DE George Karlaftis, Purdue
LB Payton Wilson, N.C. State
LB Nate Landman, Colorado
DT Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma
By conference: SEC 20, Big Ten 13, Big 12 12, Pac-12 9, ACC 8, Conference USA 5, Independents 5, Mountain West 5, Sun Belt 5, American Athletic 4, Mid-American 4.
By position: Linebackers 29, Backs 22, Ends 22, Tackles 17.
Players may be added or removed from the list before or during the season.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about the association.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling preseason watch lists over a 10-day period this month. Sixteen of the association’s 25 awards are presenting their preseason watch list during this time as the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2021 preseason watch list calendar:
Wed., July 28: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award Thu., July 29: Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy Fri., July 30: Maxwell Award
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
About the Charlotte Touchdown Club The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. Since 1990, the club has raised and donated nearly $3 million to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com.
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Related link: • Download the Bronko Nagurski Trophy presented by LendingTree logo: Primary (.jpg) | Primary (.eps)
DALLAS — The Football Writers Association of America has announced the preseason watch list for the 2021 Outland Trophy, recognizing 80 returning standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division I FBS conferences and independents. The 2021 season continues a celebration of the award’s 75th anniversary and the watch list presents a talented field of players to accompany three returning FWAA All-Americans.
The recipient of the 2021 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN in December. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 12, 2022.
Kenyon Green, a 2020 Outland semifinalist as a first-team FWAA All-American offensive guard at Texas A&M last year, tops the list as the only first-team interior lineman to return. The Aggies, who also have defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson on the list, are one of 18 teams to have at least two players on the watch list. One other returning All-American, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum highlights the top returning interior linemen. Linderbaum was a second-team selection a year ago.
Five schools boast three selections each, including two of last year’s College Football Playoff qualifiers in Clemson and Ohio State. Two of Clemson’s are defensive tackles, Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis, along with offensive tackle Jordan McFadden, are touted. Ohio State’s offensive line is bolstered by tackles Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere and its defense features tackle Haskell Garrett.
Boston College, which pairs with Clemson to give the Atlantic Coast Conference six of its national-best 14 players, has center Alec Lindstrom in between guard Zion Johnson and offensive tackle Tyler Vrabel. Oklahoma’s high-powered offense has guards Tyrese Robinson and Marquis Hayes and a third member, Perrion Winfrey at defensive tackle. Georgia is the only SEC school with a trio of players – guards Jamaree Salyer and Justin Shaffer, and defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
After the ACC, the Big Ten boasts 13 selections spread among nine different schools and the SEC has 11 total from seven schools. Defending national champion Alabama is represented by a tackle on each side of the ball, Evan Neal on offense and Phidarian Mathis on defense. Alabama offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood won the 2020 Outland Trophy before departing to the NFL as the 17th overall selection in the draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Two members of last season’s FWAA Freshman All-America team, Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski and Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith, are also on the watch list, which includes 26 offensive tackles, 26 guards, 16 centers and 13 defensive tackles.
2021 OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (80)
G Henry Bainivalu, Washington
C Alec Lindstrom, Boston College
OT Matthew Bedford, Indiana
DT Jermayne Lole, Arizona State
G Curtis Blackwell, Ball State
OT Vederian Lowe, Illinois
C Nick Brahms, Auburn
OT Abe Lucas, Washington State
DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson
G Cain Madden, Notre Dame
DT C.J. Brewer, Coastal Carolina
DT Phidarian Mathis, Alabama
OT Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
OT Jordan McFadden, Clemson
G Logan Bruss, Wisconsin
C Mike Miranda, Penn State
OT Spencer Burford, UTSA
OT Thayer Munford, Ohio State
C Mike Caliendo, Western Michigan
OT Evan Neal, Alabama
G Trey Carter, Coastal Carolina
OT Zion Nelson, Miami
DT Will Choloh, Troy
C Colin Newell, Iowa State
DT Nolan Cockrill, Army
G Conner Olson, Minnesota
C Keegan Cryder, Wyoming
G Dylan Parham, Memphis
DT Jordan Davis, Georgia
G Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
DT Tyler Davis, Clemson
OT Nicholas Petit-Frere, Ohio State
C Dawson Deaton, Texas Tech
OT Colby Ragland, UAB
G Corey Dublin, Tulane
G Tyrese Robinson, Oklahoma
G Ikem Ekwonu, N.C. State
OT Walter Rouse, Stanford
C Nathan Eldridge, Oregon State
G Jamaree Salyer, Georgia
C James Empey, BYU
G Cole Schneider, UCF
G Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina
G Derek Schweiger, Iowa State
C Alex Forsyth, Oregon
G Justin Shaffer, Georgia
OT Jake Fuzak, Buffalo
G Josh Sills, Oklahoma State
DT Haskell Garrett, Ohio State
OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
C Grant Gibson, N.C. State
OT Tyler Smith, Tulsa
G Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State
OT Jack Snyder, San Jose State
OT Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
G Jake Stetz, Boise State
C Bryce Harris, Toledo
DT Dante Stills, West Virginia
G Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma
OT Jaylon Thomas, SMU
C Brock Hoffman, Virginia Tech
OT Zachary Thomas, San Diego State
OT Jarrett Horst, Michigan State
OT Zach Tom, Wake Forest
C Baer Hunter, App State
G O’Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana
G Ed Ingram, LSU
DT Raymond Vohasek, North Carolina
DT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
OT Tyler Vrabel, Boston College
G Zion Johnson, Boston College
OT Rasheed Walker, Penn State
OT Darian Kinnard, Kentucky
OT Sidney Wells, UAB
OT Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
C Dohnovan West, Arizona State
C Doug Kramer, Illinois
OT Jarrid Williams, Miami
C Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
DT Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma
By conference: ACC 14, Big Ten 13, SEC 11, Big 12 8, Pac-12 8, Sun Belt 6, American Athletic 5, Independents 4, Mid-American 4, Mountain West 4, Conference USA 3.
Tackles, guards and centers are eligible for consideration; Candidates may be added or removed during the season
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.
The Outland Trophy, celebrating 75 years since its founding, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about the association.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling preseason watch lists over a 10-day period this month. Sixteen of the association’s 25 awards are presenting their preseason watch list during this time as the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2021 preseason watch list calendar:
Wed., July 28: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award Thu., July 29: Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy Fri., July 30: Maxwell Award
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
This is the ninth in a series of stories on Outland Trophy winners from 2006 to 2020. From 1946 to 2005, the first 60 Outland Trophy winners were profiled in the book 60 Years of the Outland Trophy by Gene Duffey. In celebration of the Outland Trophy’s 75th Anniversary we are catching up with the last 15 recipients.
(OL Brandon Scherff was selected fifth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Washington Football Team. The unanimous All-American in college at offensive tackle has been an outstanding guard in the NFL and a four-time Pro Bowler. He has started 78 games for Washington.)
Gene Duffey, Author
Ask a football coach what makes a good offensive lineman and he will inevitably say “good feet” as part of his response.
What exactly are good feet? And how do you get them?
Brandon Scherff, the 2014 Outland winner from Iowa, developed his feet by playing other sports, and other positions, before landing at offensive left tackle his last three years in Iowa City.
“You have to move your feet fast and well,” said Scherff. “Every (sport) you play helps.”
Scherff’s older brother, Justin, was a good tennis player and went on to play at Central College, a Division III school in Pella, Iowa. Brandon played tennis through his freshman year of high school in Denison, Iowa, before time restraints made him give up the sport.
“If he would have stayed with tennis his sophomore year, he would have been our No. 1 player,” Denison football coach Dave Wiebers told Darren Miller of Hawkeyesports.com.
Scherff averaged a double-double in basketball, leading Denison to back-to-back 17-6 records his junior and senior years. Footwork is especially important when you are playing on the block in basketball. He also excelled in track, competing in the shot put and discus.
Reese Morgan, an Iowa assistant, first spotted Scherff throwing the shot as a sophomore. Scherff won the state meet. Of course, his feet were an important factor for both events.
“He didn’t have the best technique, but he had a strong will,” said Morgan.
This is the eighth in a series of stories on Outland Trophy winners from 2006 to 2020. From 1946 to 2005, the first 60 Outland Trophy winners were profiled in the book 60 Years of the Outland Trophy by Gene Duffey. In celebration of the Outland Trophy’s 75th Anniversary we are catching up with the last 15 recipients.
Aaron Donald became the fourth player to receive the Outland Trophy and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in the same season. The much-decorated defensive tackle was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The perennial All-Pro has played his entire career with the Rams, now relocated back in Los Angeles.
By Gene Duffey, Author
Everyone east of Tom Hanks knows there’s no crying in baseball. So there definitely can’t be any crying in football.
You’re certainly not allowed to shed a tear if you play on the line of scrimmage, where the tougher you are, the better you are.
But it happened on Oct. 15, 2011, to a defensive tackle who would go on to claim the Outland Trophy. Pitt’s Aaron Donald, the 2013 Outland Trophy recipient, admitted he cried that day.
Donald surprised himself that afternoon in his sophomore season. It was the seventh game of the year, a home matchup with Utah. Donald had played regularly as a backup his freshman year and become a starter as a sophomore.
He played well through the first six games. Nothing exceptional. He was on his way to becoming a good player. Not a great one.
Donald changed his path that day against the Utes. He made nine tackles, 3 ½ of them sacks. He was no longer just another player. Aaron Donald was on his way to greatness.
“After that game I went to my dorm room and just busted out crying,” allowed Donald. “I was so happy with myself. Against a good team. I was just overwhelmed.”
Donald didn’t even need to watch the highlights on television. He remembered every one of them. “I kept playing the game over and over in my mind,” he said. “I was making the same plays I was in high school. From that point on I was playing that way the rest of the season. I knew what I needed to do. It just boosted my confidence.”
Paul Chryst, the Pitt head coach for Donald’s junior and senior seasons in 2012-13, wasn’t surprised when he heard the story. Chryst later became the Wisconsin head coach.
The Fifth Down 