Florida's Cunningham and Spikes On Nagurski Trophy Watch List

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Florida's Cunningham and Spikes On Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Dallas - Monday May 12, 2008

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University of Florida head football coach Urban Meyer announced the hiring of Stan Drayton as running back coach on Monday

University of Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes and defensive end Jermaine Cunningham were both listed by the Football Writers Association of America on the Watch List for the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded to the best defensive player in college football and sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club

Cunningham made a tremendous impact in 2007 after serving in a backup role in 2006. Over his first two seasons, he has seen action in 20 games with 13 career starts, and recorded 66 tackles, 34 solo and 30 assisted. Cunningham also has 12 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. In 2007, he led all Gator defensive linemen with 64 tackles, 34 solo and 30 assisted. That tally registered as the third-highest total among all linemen in the SEC.

Spikes has collected 146 total tackles (90 solo) in his first two seasons. In 2007, he started in all 13 games at middle linebacker and was a First-Team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press. He led the team with 131 total tackles (81 solo) and placed second in the SEC in total tackles.

The FWAA All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner from the association's 11-man All-America defensive team in November. The watch list was developed by the FWAA All-America committee with the help of the schools and conferences.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club will hold the 2008 banquet on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte. For the eighth-straight season, the FWAA will also pick a Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week beginning with games on Aug. 30 and running through the middle of November. A Bronko Nagurski Legends Award winner will also be selected from the FWAA's 1967 All-America team.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been presented since 1993 and is awarded in memory of the legendary Nagurski, a former All-America lineman at Minnesota in 1927-29 and a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 900 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. 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, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

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.

2008 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia	Malcom Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
Antonio Baker, DB, Louisiana Tech	Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
Darry Beckwith, MLB, LSU	Rashad Johnson, DB, Alabama
Ted Bentler, DL, Army	Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee	Jan Jorgensen, DL, BYU
Dirayl Briggs, DE, Bowling Green	Frantz Joseph, LB, Florida Atlantic
Everette Brown,DL, Florida State	Mitch King, DT, Iowa
David Bruton, FS Notre Dame	James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
Joe Burnett, DB, UCF	Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky
Terrill Byrd, DT, Cincinnati	Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn
Ian Campbell, DE, Kansas State	Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Reggie Carter, LB UCLA	Taylor Mays, S, USC
Jamar Chaney, LB Mississippi State	Albert McClellan, DE, Marshall
Patrick Chung, DB, Oregon	Scott McKillop, LB, Pittsburgh
Barry Church, S, Toledo	Gerald McRath, LB, Southern Miss
Antonio Coleman, DE Auburn	Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
Emanuel Cook, SS, South Carolina	Greg Middleton, DE, Indiana
Maurice Crum, LB, Notre Dame	Fili Moala, DT, USC
Jermaine Cunningham, DL, Florida	William Moore, S, Missouri
Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest	DJ Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
Brian Cushing, LB, USC	Joe Mortensen, LB, Kansas
Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State	Clayton Mullins, LB, Miami (Ohio)
Vontae Davis, DB, Illinois	Captain Munnerlyn, DB, South Carolina
Wil Dunbar, FS, UAB	Andre Neblett, DT, Temple
Solomin Elimimian, LB, Hawaii	Troy Nolan, DB, Arizona State
Dannell Ellerbe, LB, Georgia	Eric Norwood, DE, South Carolina
Kevin Ellison, DB, USC	Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke
Auston English, DE, Oklahoma	Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia
Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois	Derek Pegues, DB, Mississippi State
Maurice Evans, DE, Penn State	Dave Philistin, LB, Maryland
Zack Follett, LB, California	Nick Reed, DE, Oregon
Marcus Freeman, LB, Ohio State	Myron Rolle, DB, Florida State
Londen Fryar, DB, Western Michigan	George Selvie, DE, South Florida
John Gill, DT, Northwestern	Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin
DeMarcus Granger, DT, Oklahoma	Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia
Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers	Alphonso Smith, DB, Wake Forest
Michael Hamlin, DB, Clemson	D'Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech
Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi	Clinton Snyder, LB, Stanford
Nic Harris, DB, Oklahoma	Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
Victor Harris, DB, Virginia Tech	Terrance Taylor, DT, Michigan
Daniel Holtzclaw, LB, Eastern Michigan	Brian Toal, LB, Boston College
Phillip Hunt, DE, Houston	Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
George Hypolite, DT, Colorado	Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU	DeAndre Wright, DB, New Mexico
Players may be added or deleted from the list before or during the season

-UF-