May 7, 2003
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State junior linebacker Kirk Morrison (Oakland, Calif.) has been selected as one of 36 football players named to the 2003 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The award is given annually to the nation's top collegiate defensive player as voted on by the 800-member Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
A year ago, Morrison was one of just six linebackers in the country named first-team all-conference as a sophomore. He finished 2002 with 97 tackles, three interceptions and five fumble recoveries after earning freshman All-America honors by The Sporting News in 2001.
In November, five finalists will be selected by the FWAA All-America committee and the trophy will be presented to the winner at a banquet on December 8, by the Charlotte Touchdown Club in Charlotte, N.C.
The award, now in its 11th season, is named after Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bears star Bronko Nagurski. Past recipients include: Warren Sapp (1994), Pat Fitzgerald (1995 and '96), Charles Woodson (1997), Champ Bailey (1998), Corey Moore (1999), Dan Morgan (2000), Roy Williams (2001) and the 2002 winner, Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs.
2003 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST
| Tim Anderson, DL, Ohio State Jason Babin, DL, Western Michigan Atari Bigby, DB, Central Florida Michael Boulware, LB, Florida State Jamaal Brimmer, DB, UNLV Jorge Cordova, DE, Nevada Karlos Dansby, LB, Auburn Rod Davis, LB, Southern Miss Brandon Everage, DB, Oklahoma Matt Grootegoed, LB, USC Claude Harriott, DE, Pittsburgh Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma Derrick Johnson, LB, Texas Jason Kaufusi, DL, Utah Brandon Kennedy, DT, North Texas Teddy Lehman, LB, Oklahoma Jim Leonhard, DB, Wisconsin Justin Miller, CB, Clemson | Kirk Morrison, LB, San Diego State Antwan Odom, DE, Alabama Philip Perry, DE, San Jose State David Pollack, DE, Georgia Etric Pruitt, DB, Southern Miss Bob Sanders, DB, Iowa Stuart Schweigert, FS, Purdue Darrion Scott, DL, Ohio State Richard Seigler, LB, Oregon State Isaac Sopoaga, DT, Hawai'i Derrick Strait, DB, Oklahoma Marcus Tubbs, DT, Texas Kenechi Udeze, DE, USC Jonathan Vilma, LB, Miami Courtney Watson, LB, Notre Dame Corey Webster, CB, LSU Grant Wiley, LB, West Virginia Madieu Williams, S, Maryland |