Ole Miss’ Robert Nkemdiche Named to Lombardi Watch List

Ole Miss sophomore defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2014 Rotary Lombardi Award, announced by the award’s committee Monday.

Nkemdiche has previously been named to watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy, as well.
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.
Nkemdiche was a Freshman All-American last year when he posted 34 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. He ranked second among SEC freshmen with 0.73 TFLs per game and also carried the ball five times on offense, gaining 32 yards. The Loganville, Georgia, native has been tabbed a preseason All-America and All-SEC pick by multiple publications this year.
The Rotary Lombardi Award 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 preseason 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 ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014 at the Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org.
The Rotary Lombardi Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. For more information, visit the association’s official website, www.ncfaa.org.
Rebels on 2014 award watch lists:
Serderius Bryant – CFPA Linebacker Trophy
Evan Engram – Mackey Award, CFPA Tight End Trophy
Robert Nkemdiche – Nagurski Trophy, Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award
Cody Prewitt – Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Thorpe Award, CFPA Defensive Back Trophy
Deterrian Shackelford – Lott IMPACT Trophy
Laquon Treadwell – CFPA Wide Receiver Trophy
Laremy Tunsil – Outland Trophy
Bo Wallace – Maxwell Award, CFPA Quarterback Trophy
–Ole Miss Sports Information