Temple University Athletics
Rotary Lombardi Watch List Includes Matakevich and Martin-Oguike
7.13.15 | Football, T. Matakevich - All-American Candidate
PHILADELPHIA – The Rotary Lombardi Award Committee has released the Watch List for the 2015 Rotary Lombardi Award and it includes two Temple players – senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich and redshirt junior defensive lineman Praise Martin-Oguike.
Last week, Matakevich was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch Lists. This is Martin-Oguike's first Watch List. Temple junior running back Jahad Thomas (Paul Hornung Award) and senior center Kyle Friend (Rimington Award) have also earned recognition on preseason Watch Lists.
Matakevich has made the college football world take notice since he won the Big East Conference Freshman Player of the Year in 2012 when he became the first Temple freshman to eclipse the 100-tackle plateau. Now entering his senior season, the Stratford, Conn., native has strung together three seasons with over 100 tackles and can become only the seventh player in NCAA history to reach that milestone in four straight seasons. His 355 career tackles are over 60 more than the closest active player entering the 2015 season.
Martin-Oguike led the Owls with 7.5 sacks last year, his first as a defensive lineman after missing the previous two seasons. He emerged as a big-play maker with five forced fumbles, one that he recovered for a touchdown and two blocked field goals. Overall, he had 37 tackles including 10.0 behind the line of scrimmage.
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 2015 pre-season honors.
The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2015 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 500 members, including all past winners and finalists, all Division 1 head coaches and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
The Rotary Lombardi Watch List containing 145 delegates, 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 semi-finalists for 2015.
The 46th Rotary Lombardi Award will be held on December 9, 2015 at the Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas. Proceeds from the Rotary Lombardi Awards stay in the Houston community and benefit the American Cancer Society, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centers / Children's Cancer Hospital, and Texas Children's Cancer Center. For more information on the schedule of events, please visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org.
The Rotary Lombardi Award
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 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
Last week, Matakevich was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch Lists. This is Martin-Oguike's first Watch List. Temple junior running back Jahad Thomas (Paul Hornung Award) and senior center Kyle Friend (Rimington Award) have also earned recognition on preseason Watch Lists.
Matakevich has made the college football world take notice since he won the Big East Conference Freshman Player of the Year in 2012 when he became the first Temple freshman to eclipse the 100-tackle plateau. Now entering his senior season, the Stratford, Conn., native has strung together three seasons with over 100 tackles and can become only the seventh player in NCAA history to reach that milestone in four straight seasons. His 355 career tackles are over 60 more than the closest active player entering the 2015 season.
Martin-Oguike led the Owls with 7.5 sacks last year, his first as a defensive lineman after missing the previous two seasons. He emerged as a big-play maker with five forced fumbles, one that he recovered for a touchdown and two blocked field goals. Overall, he had 37 tackles including 10.0 behind the line of scrimmage.
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 2015 pre-season honors.
The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2015 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 500 members, including all past winners and finalists, all Division 1 head coaches and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
The Rotary Lombardi Watch List containing 145 delegates, 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 semi-finalists for 2015.
The 46th Rotary Lombardi Award will be held on December 9, 2015 at the Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas. Proceeds from the Rotary Lombardi Awards stay in the Houston community and benefit the American Cancer Society, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centers / Children's Cancer Hospital, and Texas Children's Cancer Center. For more information on the schedule of events, please visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org.
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The Rotary Lombardi Award
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 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
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