The prestigious football watch list, the Rotary Lombardi Award, was announced that included three players from Arkansas to keep an eye on this fall that included the Razorbacks’ Trey Flowers and the Red Wolves Qushaun Lee and Bryce Giddens. Shortly after the list was announced, Arkansas State head football coach Blake Anderson announced Giddens, the school’s star junior center, was ending his college football career.
The full statement from Anderson and announcement of the watch list are below.
Arkansas State head football coach Blake Anderson announced Monday that junior center Bryce Giddens has decided to end his collegiate playing career because of past and recent injuries sustained on the field.
“After multiple discussions with Bryce, his family and doctors, we support Bryce’s decision to step away from football,” said Anderson. “Bryce is obviously a talented football player, but the health and well-being of all our players comes first. We wish Bryce only the best in his future endeavors. As far as our football team goes, I’m confident we will have several players step up on our offensive line this fall to fill the vacancy left by Bryce.”
Giddens was a two-year starter for the Red Wolves at the center position, earning Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference recognition as a sophomore in 2013. He helped lead A-State to Sun Belt Conference championships in 2012 and 2013, as well as back-to-back GoDaddy Bowl victories the last two seasons.
Giddens will continue his association with the Arkansas State Athletics Department, working with administration while remaining on scholarship as he pursues his bachelor’s degree.
Bryce Giddens bio:
2013: Rimington Trophy Watch List
2012: Played in every game and started final 11 at center as a true freshman for an offense that broke the school record for total offense and touchdowns scored, while also ranking among the top 50 teams in the nation in sacks allowed (17th), total offense (23rd), rushing offense (23rd), scoring offense (26th), passing offense (23rd) . . . Helped pave the way for 31 rushing touchdowns and a Sun-Belt Conference best 206.2 rushing yards per game . . . Part of ASU’s offensive line that helped the Red Wolves produce top-five all-time Sun Belt Conference numbers for total offense, yards per game, points scored, touchdowns, first downs, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and ruhsing yards per game . . . Athletic Director’s Honor Roll member.
HIGH SCHOOL: 3-star recruit by Rivals.com . . . 2-star recruit by Scout.com and 247Sports . . . Ranked as the No. 30 and No. 35 center in the nation by Scout.com and 247Sports, respectively . . . 4-year varsity letterman with 45 career starts, including 36 consecutive . . . Named Class 5A First Team All-State by the Atlanta Journal Constitution in 2011 . . . Associated Press all-state selection as a junior and senior . . . Earned All-Region 1-5A honors as voted on by the region’s coaches as a sophomore, junior and senior . . . Chosen to play in the 2011 Georgia North-South high school All-Star game in Columbus . . . Also an accomplished member of the wrestling team with an overall record of 88-12.
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HOUSTON – The Rotary Lombardi Award committee announced the 2014 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List today. The list includes 123 athletes from 76 universities.
“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 pre-season 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.
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 Division 1 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. For more information, visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org.
The full watch list includes:
Henry Anderson, DE, Sr. – Stanford
Stephone Anthony, LB, Sr. – Clemson
Chi Chi Ariguzo, LB, Sr. – Northwestern
T.T. Barber, LB, Jr. – Middle Tennessee State
Jamaal Bass, LB, Sr. – Northern Illinois
Vic Beasley, DE, Sr. – Clemson
Michael Bennett, DT, Sr. – Ohio State
Austin Blythe, C, Jr. – Iowa
Joey Bosa, DE, So. – Ohio State
Brett Boyko, T, Sr. – UNLV
Kelby Brown, LB, Sr. – Duke
Brandin Bryant, DT, Jr. – Florida Atlantic
Shilique Calhoun, DE, Jr. – Michigan State
AJ Cann, G, Sr. – South Carolina
Justin Cherocci, LB, Sr. – Central Michigan
Le’Raven Clark, T, Jr. – Texas Tech
Ben Clarke, C, Jr. – Hawaii
La’El Collins, T, Sr. – LSU
Christian Covington, DT, Jr. – Rice
Carl Davis, DT, Sr. – Iowa
Tyeler Davison, DT, Sr. – Fresno State
Reese Dismukes, C, Sr. – Auburn
Jamil Douglas, G, Sr. – Arizona State
Spencer Drango, T, Jr. – Baylor
Ejiro Ederaine, LB, Jr. – Fresno State
Steve Edmond, LB, Sr. – Texas
Mario Edwards, DE, Jr. – Florida State
Cameron Erving, T, Sr. Florida State
Dominic Espinsoa, C, Sr. – Texas
Kyler Frackrell, LB, Jr. – Utah State
Devonte Fields, DE, So. – TCU
BJ Finney, C, Sr. – Kansas State
Trey Flowers, DE, Sr. – Arkansas
Leonard Floyd, LB, So. – Georgia
Alani Fau, LB, Sr. – BYU
Bryce Giddens, C, Jr. – Arkansas State
Hroniss Grasu, C, Sr. Oregon
Randy Gregory, DE, Jr. – Nebraska
Bryce Hager, LB, Sr. – Baylor
Justin Hamilton, DT, Sr. – UL-Lafayette
Lincoln Hansen, T, Sr. – Eastern Michigan
Rob Havenstein, T, Sr. – Wisconsin
Brock Hekking, DE, Sr. – Nevada
Ben Henney- LB, Sr. – Kansas
Treyvon Hester, DT, So. – Toledo
Sean Hickey, T, Sr. – Syracuse
Jermaine Holmes, LB, Sr. – Marshall
Chucky Hunter, DT, Sr. – TCU
Martin Ifedi, DE, Sr. – Memphis
Scott Inskeep, G, Sr. – UTEP
Myles Jack, LB, So. – UCLA
Tre Jackson, G, Sr. – Florida State
Grady Jarrett, DT, Sr. – Clemson
Chris Jasperse, C, Sr. – Marshall
Cameron Jefferson, G, Sr. – UNLV
Chris Johnson, LB, Sr. – Navy
Kaleb Johnson, G, Sr. – Rutgers
A.J. Johnson, LB, Sr. – Tennessee
Gerrand Johnson, DT, Jr. – UL-Monroe
Tyler Johnstone , T, Jr. – Oregon
Chris Jones, DT, So. – Mississippi State
Bronson Kaufusi, LB, Jr. – BYU
Eric Kendricks, LB, Sr. – UCLA
Andrae Kirk, LB, Sr. – Florida Atlantic
Arie Kouandjio, G, Sr. – Alabama
Qushaun Lee, LB, Sr. – Arkansas State
Cyril Lemon, G, Sr. – North Texas
Braden Lyons, T, Sr. – Florida Atlantic
Luther Maddy, DT, Sr. – Virginia Tech
Derrick Malone, LB, Sr. – Oregon
Greg Mancz, G, Sr. – Toledo
Nick Martin, OL, Sr. – Notre Dame
Shaquille Mason, G, Sr. – Georgia Tech
Tyler Matakevich, LB, Jr . – Temple
Josue Matias, G, Sr. – Florida State
Derrick Mathews, LB, Sr. – Houston
David Mayo, LB, Sr. – Texas State
Benardrick McKinney, LB, Jr. – Mississippi State
Silverberry Mouhon, DE, Jr. – Cincinnati
Ryan Mueller, DE, Sr. – Kansas State
Robert Nkemdiche, DT, So. – Ole Miss
Shawn Oakman, DE, Jr. – Baylor
Cedric Ogbuehi. T, Sr. – Texas A&M
Andrus Peat, T, Jr. – Stanford
Remington Peck, DL, Jr. – BYU
Denzel Perryman, LB, Sr. – Miami
Andy Phillips, G, Sr. – Central Michigan
Terrance Plummer, LB, Sr. – UCF
Hayes Pullard, LB, Sr. – USC
Mykhael Quave, T, Jr. – UL-Lafayette
Daniel Quave, G, Sr. – UL-Lafayette
Cedric Reed, DE, Sr. –Texas
Jacob Richard, C, Jr. – Ball State
Tyler Roberts, DE, Jr. – Troy
A’Shawn Robinson, DE, So. – Alabama
Jake Ryan, LB, Sr. – Michigan
Ty Sambrailo, T, Sr. – Colorado State
Brandon Scherff, T, Sr. – Iowa
Isaac Seumalo, C, Jr. – Oregon State
Danny Shelton, DT, Jr. – Washington
Steve Shumaker, OL, Sr. – Army
Robert Singletary, DE, Sr. – UTSA
Jake Smith, C, Sr. – Louisville
Jaylon Smith, LB, So. – Notre Dame
Quinton Spain, G, Sr. – West Virginia
Eric Striker, LB, Jr. – Oklahoma
Junior Sylvestre, LB, Sr. – Toledo
AJ Tarpley, LB, Sr. – Stanford
Shaq Thompson, LB, Jr. – Washington
Laken Tomlinson, G, Sr. – Duke
Dominique Tovell, DE, Jr. – UL-Lafayette
Max Tuerk,G, Jr. – USC
Clint Van Horn, T, Jr. – Marshall
Zach Virgil, LB, Sr. – Utah State
Diaheem Watkins, DE, Sr. – UAB
Cody Whitehair,G, Sr. – Kansas State
Cody Wichmann, G, Sr. – Fresno State
Ucambre Williams, T, Sr. – South Alabama
Leonard Williams, DE, Jr. – USC
Ramick Wilson, LB, Sr. – Georgia
Eddie Yarbrough, DE, Jr. – Wyoming
Mason Y’Barbo, G, Sr. – North Texas
About National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA)
The Rotary Lombardi Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
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