June 27, 2005

Dallas – South Carolina sophomore rover Ko Simpson is one of 50 players from around the country included on The Football Writers Association of America’s preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the FWAA announced today.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player in college football, has been a staple of the FWAA’s awards since 1993. It is sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club, which has held the annual awards banquet since 1995.

Simpson collected several Freshman All-America honors in 2004 in addition to earning SEC Freshman of the Year recognition after leading the conference and ranking third nationally with six interceptions. Simpson also recovered three fumbles and ranked second on the team with 61 tackles.

The 2005 banquet is set for Monday, Dec. 5, at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, where five finalists will vie for the prize. Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson won the 2004 Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

The FWAA All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski winner from the association’s 11-man All-America defensive team in late November. Players may be added from the Bronko Nagurski Watch List during the course of the 2005 season.

For the fifth straight season, the FWAA will select Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week, beginning with games the week of Sept. 3 and running through the middle of November. Each national player of the week will be added to the trophy’s watch list throughout the season.

2005 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST

Muhammad Abdullah, DB, KentuckyRufus Alexander, LB, OklahomaJason Allen, DB, TennesseeJon Alston, LB, StanfordDan Bazuin, DE, Central MichiganDarnell Bing, DB, USCLarry Birdine, DE, OklahomaH. B. Blades, LB, PittsburghTrent Bray, LB, Oregon StateAhmad Brooks, LB, VirginiaJeremy Chase, DE, NavyBernard Davis, LB, TroyWill Derting, LB, Washington StateRay Edwards, DE, PurdueJohn Eubanks, DB, Southern MissSteve Fifita, DL, UtahGabriel Fulbright, DB, New MexicoCharles Gordon, DB, KansasChad Greenway, LB, IowaKorey Hall, LB, Boise StateRoman Harper, DB, AlabamaSpencer Havner, LB, UCLAA. J. Hawk, LB, Ohio StateAbdul Hodge, LB, IowaThomas Howard, LB, UTEPMichael Huff, DB, TexasD'Qwell Jackson, LB, MarylandCameron Jensen, LB, BYUMathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston CollegeLaRon Landry, DB, LSUJesse Mahelona, DT, TennesseeDerrick Martin, DB, WyomingLarry McSwain, DE, UABQuentin Moses, DE, GeorgiaTerna Nande, LB, Miami (Ohio)Haloti Ngata, DT, OregonPaul Posluszny, LB, Penn StateJosh Powell, DB, San Jose StateDeMeco Ryans, LB, AlabamaKo Simpson, DB, South CarolinaErnie Sims, LB, Florida StateDarryl Tapp, DE, Virginia TechDhyan Tarver, DB, ArmyGabe Watson, DT, MichiganJimmy Williams, DB, Virginia TechTravis Williams, LB, AuburnKyle Williams, DT, LSUMario Williams, DE, N.C. StateRodrique Wright, DT, TexasAlan Zemaitis, DB, Penn State

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 900 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C. region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches.