Aug. 11, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern University juniors Loren Howard (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Zach Strief (Milford, Ohio) are two of the 113 players who have been named to the official Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List.
This year, the Rotary Lombardi Award celebrates the 35th year of honoring the finest linemen in college football. The annual Rotary Lombardi Award Dinner will be held in Houston on December 8, with all net proceeds from the dinner and related activities adding to the total of nearly $3 million that has been raised for the American Cancer Society since the events inception. Chris Spielman, the 1987 winner of the award, will serve as this year's featured speaker.
The list includes 27 offensive tackles, 24 defensive ends, 20 linebackers, 13 centers, eight defensive tackles, seven offensive guards and four tight ends.
Howard, a starter in all 25 career games, already ranks seventh on the Wildcats' all-time tackle-for-loss chart. Strief, who is in his third year as NU's starting offensive right tackle, stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 335 pounds. Both players earned honorable mention All-Big Ten kudos in 2003.
The 113 members of the Watch List earned a place on the Watch List by earning All-America honors at the end of the 2003 or previous seasons, by being named to their respective All Conference team as selected by the conference's head coaches, or by being named to one of the pre-season honor teams.
Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen and those defensive players who line up within five yards of the football. While the Watch Lists highlights players who have already received national recognition, any Division I player who meets the position requirements is eligible for consideration from the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee, which is comprised of over 500 members, including all past finalists, all 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 2004.
A complete listing of nominees can be found at http://www.rotarylombardiaward.com/04watchlist.html.