Rotary Lombardi Award
Awarded forThe best college football lineman of the year
LocationHouston, Texas
CountryUnited States
Presented byRotary Club of Houston
History
First award1970
Most recentLaiatu Latu, UCLA (2023)
Websitehttp://www.rotarylombardiaward.org

The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombardi"[1] the Rotary Lombardi Award program was created in 1970 shortly after the death of Lombardi.[2] The committee outlined the original criteria for eligibility for the award, which remained in place until this day:[3][4]

History

Following the death of highly regarded football coach Vince Lombardi in 1970 his widow, Marie, authorised the Rotary Club of Houston to establish the Rotary Lombardi Award. The award began as recognition to only interior line positions that Vince Lombardi played while an undergraduate at Fordham University, offensive and defensive guard, and later expanded to include linebackers and tight ends, with the addition of including non-performance values: leadership, courage, desire, respect for authority, and discipline.

To be considered for the award, players must be a NCAA FBS College Football team member and meet the following qualifications:

  • Be a down Lineman, end to end, either on offense or defense, setting up no further than ten (10) yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap.
  • Be a Linebacker on defense, setting up no further than five (5) yards deep from the line of scrimmage.
  • Must not come out of the offensive backfield and set up on the line of scrimmage as a Blocker or a Receiver or listed in the program as an Offensive Back or Receiver.
  • Be eligible to participate in the current season.

The voting electorate is made up of the head coaches from all NCAA Division I schools, sports media personnel from across the country, and former winners and finalists of the Lombardi Award. The total number of voters is approximately 500.[5] The Ohio State University holds the record for most Lombardi awards with six. Orlando Pace, the only two-time winner (1995 and 1996), is the most recent offensive lineman to be honored.

Net proceeds from the award activities are contributed to cancer research, awareness, and treatment, on the stipulation of Marie Lombardi.

Expansion of candidates, then retraction

In 2017, the presenting Rotary Club expanded the award's eligibility to include all positions.[6] This lasted until 2021, when they reverted to the original criteria. The winners from 2017 through 2020 are not recognized by the current award committee, although 2020 winner Zaven Collins qualified under the original criteria.[7]

Unrecognized recipients[8]
Year Player School Position
2017 Bryce Love Stanford RB
2018 Ugo Amadi Oregon S
2019 Joe Burrow LSU QB
2020 Zaven Collins Tulsa LB

Trophy

The main part of the trophy is a block of granite, paying homage to Lombardi's college days at Fordham University as an offensive lineman when his offensive line was referred to as the "Seven Blocks of Granite".[9]

Winners

YearPlayerSchoolPosition
1970Jim StillwagonOhio StateMG
1971Walt PatulskiNotre DameDT
1972Rich GloverNebraskaMG
1973John HicksOhio State (2)OT
1974Randy WhiteMarylandDT
1975Lee Roy SelmonOklahomaDE
1976Wilson WhitleyHoustonDE
1977Ross BrownerNotre Dame (2)DE
1978Bruce ClarkPenn StateDT
1979Brad BuddeUSCOG
1980Hugh GreenPittsburghDE
1981Kenneth SimsTexasDT
1982Dave RimingtonNebraska (2)C
1983Dean SteinkuhlerNebraska (3)OT
1984Tony DegrateTexas (2)DT
1985Tony CasillasOklahoma (2)DT
1986Cornelius BennettAlabamaLB
1987Chris SpielmanOhio State (3)LB
1988Tracy RockerAuburnDT
1989Percy SnowMichigan StateLB
1990Chris ZorichNotre Dame (3)DT
1991Steve EmtmanWashingtonDT
1992Marvin JonesFlorida StateLB
1993Aaron TaylorNotre Dame (4)OT
1994Warren SappMiami (FL)DT
1995Orlando PaceOhio State (4)OT
1996Orlando Pace (2)Ohio State (5)OT
1997Grant WistromNebraska (4)DE
1998Dat NguyenTexas A&MLB
1999Corey MooreVirginia TechDE
2000Jamal ReynoldsFlorida State (2)DT
2001Julius PeppersNorth CarolinaDE
2002Terrell SuggsArizona StateDE
2003Tommie HarrisOklahoma (3)DT
2004David PollackGeorgiaDE
2005A. J. HawkOhio State (6)LB
2006LaMarr WoodleyMichiganLB
2007Glenn DorseyLSUDT
2008Brian OrakpoTexas (3)DE
2009Ndamukong SuhNebraska (5)DT
2010Nick FairleyAuburn (2)DT
2011Luke KuechlyBoston CollegeLB
2012Manti Te'oNotre Dame (5)LB
2013Aaron DonaldPittsburgh (2)DT
2014Scooby Wright IIIArizonaLB
2015Carl NassibPenn State (2)DE
2016Jonathan AllenAlabama (2)DE
2017Bryce Love

Stanford

 RB
2018Ugo Amadi

Oregon

 S
2019Joe BurrowLSU (2)QB
2020Zaven CollinsTulsaLB
2021Aidan HutchinsonMichigan (2)DE
2022Will Anderson Jr.Alabama (3)LB
2023Laiatu LatuUCLADE

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Football Lombardi Award".
  2. ↑ "The Rotary Lombardi Award". The Rotarian. Rotary International. 167 (6): 34. December 1995. ISSN 0035-838X. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  3. ↑ "College football's Lombardi Award to be open to all positions". 24 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "The Heisman-like college football award for anti-Manziels". 27 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Texas' Orakpo wins Lombardi Award". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 10, 2008. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  6. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (2016-08-24). "College football's Lombardi Award to be open to all positions". Chron. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  7. ↑ "MEDIA". RotaryLombardiAward. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  8. ↑ World, Kelly Hines Tulsa (17 February 2021). "Former TU linebacker Zaven Collins wins Lombardi Award". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  9. ↑ "Michigan's Woodley wins Lombardi Award". USA Today. Associated Press. December 6, 2006. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
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