Reggie Ragland Selected as Rotary Lombardi Award Semifinalist
11/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOUSTON - Alabama senior linebacker Reggie Ragland was selected as one of 12 semifinalists for the 46th Rotary Lombardi Award, held annually in Houston, Texas, on Thursday. Ragland joins six defensive ends, three offensive limen and three linebackers on the short list of candidates.
Ragland stepped into the starting role at linebacker in 2014 and has excelled ever since, earning Butkus Award semifinalist recognition in 2014 and also this season. Adding to this year's nominations are a selection as a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award. The senior captain leads the team with 71 tackles, including 42 solo stops, which is 32 more than the next closest defender. He's added 5.0 tackles for loss (-18 yards), two sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.
The Madison, Ala., native has led the team in tackles in seven of eight games thus far for a defense that ranks fourth nationally against the rush (78.5 ypg), sixth in total defense (275.8 ypg), 12th in pass efficiency defense and 15th in scoring defense (16.4 ppg). During the 2015 season, Ragland has been named the Bednarik Award's National Defensive Player of the Week, SEC Defensive Player of the Week and has earned numerous defensive player of the week honors from the Alabama coaching staff.
Eligibility for the award is limited to down linemen on either offense or defense along with linebackers. All candidates are judged on characteristics that exemplify the Lombardi legacy, leadership, discipline, sportsmanship and excellence of performance. The voting panel for the award is made up of all FBS head coaches, past Rotary Lombardi Award Finalists and selected college football writers.
Cornelius Bennett is the only member of the Crimson Tide to win the Rotary Lombardi Award in the past. Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw were both selected as finalists in 2011, but were not named the winner.
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