Three Hokie Defensemen on Watch List for National Award
by Neal Turnage
August 24, 2006

    
Vince Hall, Chris Ellis, and Xavier Adibi.

The Watch List is out for the 37th Rotary Lombardi Award and it includes three Virginia Tech football players.  Defensive end Chris Ellis and the linebacker tandem of Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi made the list of potential honorees as the nation’s best collegiate lineman.

The list currently shows 101 names from dozens of schools. The basic award criteria classifies an eligible player as a down lineman on either side of the ball - including tight ends, and linebackers who line up within five yards of the ball.  This year, the initial list contains 54 defensive players and 47 offensive players. 

A player does not have to make the initial list to be eligible for the award as it is updated as the season progresses.  The list will be pared down to twelve semi-finalists, four finalists then one winner with the award presented on Dec. 6 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston.

Nearly 400 college football coaches, sports writers, broadcasters and previous winners of the award participate in the three-tiered selection process.

Corey Moore won the award in 1999 during Virginia Tech’s national title run.  In 1996, Cornell Brown was named a finalist behind two-time winner Orlando Pace from Ohio State.  Last year’s award went to Ohio State’s A.J. Hawk.

Though three Hokies made the Watch List this year, the final four has not included teammates since Bruce Clark (winner) and Matt Millen from Penn State in 1978.  The grouping of four finalists has never contained three or more players from the same team.

The Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia Bank, donates its proceeds to the American Cancer Society.  More information can be found at www.rotarylombardiaward.com.