Alabama Football Places Nine Players on Lombardi Award Watch List
8/25/2016 3:18:00 PM | Football
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama defensive linemen Jonathan Allen, Da'Shawn Hand, Da'Ron Payne and Dalvin Tomlinson, linebackers Ryan Anderson, Reuben Foster, and Tim Williams, tight end O.J. Howard and offensive lineman Cam Robinson have been named to the 2016 Rotary Lombardi Award watch list announced today by the Rotary Club of Houston. Alabama's nine candidates equals Clemson for the most in the country.
They are among 158 players from around the country named to the preseason list that now recognizes the nation's top college football player. Alabama's Cornelius Bennett won the award in 1986.
Due to a change in its criteria in 2016, the Rotary Lombardi Award is now open to college football players regardless of position, who "demonstrate outstanding performance and skill in offensive or defensive positions and best exemplify the discipline, virtue and wisdom that defined Vincent Lombardi's exceptional brand of leadership." The award is named in honor of former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.
One of the most productive defenders along the Tide's vaunted defensive front, Allen returns for his senior campaign after foregoing the NFL Draft He was named to the All-SEC First Team defense by the conference coaches and the Associated Press as a junior after ranking 17th nationally and second in the SEC in sacks with .80 per game (12.0 sacks). Allen recorded 36 tackles in his junior season with a team-leading 14.5 tackles for loss (-92 yards) and added four pass breakups and six quarterback hurries. All 12 of his sacks came against Power 5 competition with 11 coming against ranked teams.
Dangerous off the edge, Ryan Anderson enters his senior campaign as one of the nation's top pass rushers and one of the most reliable linebackers for the Crimson Tide defense. He notched 37 tackles a season ago, with 11.5 of those going for a loss (-50), and added six sacks (-41 yards), two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and nine quarterback hurries. Anderson got stronger as the season wore on, recording 9.5 of his tackles for loss in his last 10 games, including a career-high two tackles for loss at then-No. 20 Mississippi State, against Florida in the SEC Championship and finally against Michigan State in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. He played a key role in the Tide's late-game, regular-season win over Tennessee, forcing a fumble on the Volunteers' final offensive drive with less than two minutes to play, sealing the 19-14 win and keeping the Crimson Tide's title hopes intact.
Foster returns for his senior season to anchor the Alabama defense after learning under unanimous first team All-American and current Buffalo Bills linebacker Reggie Ragland during his junior campaign. An instinctive backer who earned the starting job at inside linebacker a season ago, Foster finished second on the team with 73 total tackles, eight for a loss (-24 yards), with two sacks (-7 yards), three quarterback hurries and nine pass breakups in 2015.
A talented junior who could challenge for a prominent role at defensive end for the Crimson Tide in 2016, Da'Shawn Hand is a skilled pass rusher who has played in 24 career games with 23 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. As a sophomore in 2015, he improved each week as a pass rush specialist, collecting 6.5 tackles for loss (-17 yards) and three sacks (-10 yards) to go with his two quarterback hurries. He was named one of the UA coaching staff's defensive players of the week for his efforts against ULM, when he recorded five tackle and team-high 1.5 sacks as the Tide limited the Warhawks to just 92 yards of total offense.
Howard begins his senior season as one of the most dynamic tight end options in college football, presenting a mismatch for most defenses in the passing game. He broke out in the final contest of the 2015 season, earning Offensive MVP honors against Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game after hauling in five catches for a career-high and national championship game high 208 yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers. All five of his catches converted first downs and went for 15-plus yards with a career-long 63-yard reception in the fourth quarter of the title game. His total receiving yards against the Tigers were an Alabama bowl record. By season's end, Howard collected 38 catches for 602 yards and a team-high 15.8 yards per catch average in 2015. Always a reliable option, 24 of his catches converted first downs for the Tide with nine of 20 yards or more.
A freshman All-American in 2015, Da'Ron Payne returns to help anchor the interior of the Crimson Tide's defensive front after playing in all 15 games as a true freshman, making three starts at nose guard in the base 3-4 alignment. Payne finished the season with 13 tackles with half of a sack and a forced fumble. One of the top reserves along the nation's top defensive front, Payne worked his way into an expanded role along the defensive front as the season progressed.
The first true freshman to start at left tackle for Alabama since Andre Smith in 2006, Robinson has started all 29 games during his two years at the Capstone. One of two returning starters on the Tide's offensive line, Robinson was named to the All-SEC first team by both the conference coaches and the Associated Press following the 2015 season. Robinson was a key along an offensive line that opened holes for 199.9 rushing yards per game to rank 32nd nationally and third in the SEC. A powerful force on the edge, he had 46 knockdown blocks to ranked third on the team. For his career, Robinson has blocked for 17 100-yard rushers, including 10 in 2015.
Tomlinson returns for his senior season as one of the veterans along the Crimson Tide defensive front. A disruptive force that will be looking for a breakout season, Tomlinson has played in 29 career games with 60 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and six pass breakups. The first defensive lineman off the bench on the nation's deepest defensive fronts in 2015, he led the team with six pass breakups from a down lineman and added 34 total tackles and four quarterback hurries.
One of the nation's top pass rushers on the outside, Williams returns for his senior season with the Tide. He played in all 15 games as a junior and ranked second on the team with 10.5 sacks (-78 yards) to go with 12.5 tackles for loss (-92 yards), four quarterback hurries and one pass breakup. Heating up as the season progressed, Williams used his last five SEC games and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic to record at least half a sack and added 2.0 sacks apiece at Auburn and versus Florida. Williams notched 11.0 of his 12.5 tackles for loss (-61 yards) during that time, and added 7.0 of his 10.5 sacks (-60 yards).
The Rotary Lombardi Award has been presented annually since 1970 by the Rotary Club of Houston. Prior to 2016, the award recognized the top offensive or defensive lineman or linebacker in college football. The award ceremony date will be announced later this season.
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