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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-