2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
May 19, 2008
DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America has announced 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.
 Included on the list is Ohio State senior linebacker James Laurinaitis, the 2006 Nagurski Trophy winner and a 2007 finalist, and South Florida junior defensive end George Selvie, another 2007 finalist.
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. And 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 2007 Nagurski Trophy winner, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, was selected No. 5 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2008 NFL Draft. The two other 2007 Nagurski finalists also fared well in the NFL Draft: Virginia end Chris Long went No. 2 overall to the St. Louis Rams and Kansas defensive back Aqib Talib was the No. 20 overall selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
| 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 |
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.
The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.
| 2008 FWAA ALL-AMERICA COMMITTEE |
| Lenn Robbins, New York Post |
Paul Strelow, The (Columbia, S.C.) State |
| Tom Kensler, Denver Post |
Kyle Hightower, Orlando Sentinel |
| Phil Steele, Phil Steele Magazine |
Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette |
| Maureen Fulton, Toledo Blade |
Dennis Dodd, cbssports.com |
| Antonya English, St. Petersburg Times |
George Schroeder, Eugene Register-Guard |
CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the nominating panel of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. |