The Rotary Lombardi Award committee announced earlier this week that West Virginia University football senior offensive lineman Quinton Spain was named to its 2014 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List.

 

“This is one of our favorite times of the year,” Rotary Lombardi Award committee chair Brian Carr said.  “The dog days of summer are when people start thinking about college football again. We are ready to see who is going to distinguish themselves this year, and we look forward to tracking the progress of each player on this list.”

 

Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. 

 

The candidates earned a place on the preliminary watch list by earning All-American honors, being named to their respective all-conference teams or receiving 2014 preseason honors. The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2014 season in order to identify other players who have received significant pre-season honors.

 

“It was good to see that Quinton was recognized on the Outland Trophy Watch List last week and this week the Lombardi Award,” says WVU offensive line coach Ron Crook. “This is a great start for his senior season, and we believe great things are in store for him.”

 

Spain, a native of Petersburg Va., was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List last week. He was a preseason All-America Third Team selection by Athlon Sports and started all 12 games last season for the Mountaineers and 25 straight, most of any lineman. He was named to the 2013 All-Big 12 Conference Third Team by Phil Steele and earned All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention honors as voted on by the league’s coaches.

 

While the Watch List highlights those players who have already received national recognition, any Division 1 player who meets the requirements is eligible for consideration from the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee. This committee is comprised of more than 300 members, including all past winners and finalists, all NCAA Division I head coaches and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. 

 

The Rotary Lombardi Watch List, intended as a reference tool for the selection committee, will be periodically updated and revised through the conclusion of the voting to determine the 12 semifinalists for 2014. 

 

The 45th Rotary Lombardi Award will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at the Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas. 

 

Editor's Note: Photo by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.