Nov. 17, 2012

The Rotary Lombardi Award committee today announced the four finalists for the 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award. The finalists are:

Jadeveon Clowney University of South Carolina Defensive End

Barrett Jones University of Alabama Offensive Lineman

Jarvis Jones University of Georgia Outside Linebacker

Manti Te’o Notre Dame University Inside Linebacker

Established in 1970, the annual award honors collegiate lineman who display courage, character and team spirit on and off the gridiron. This year’s Rotary Lombardi Award will be presented on December 5th at Houston’s Hobby Center and telecast nationally on the CBS Sports Network (check local listings).

“We are honored to be able to help sustain the legacy of Coach Lombardi by recognizing the singular leadership and talents of these outstanding players, and we extend our congratulations to all of our past winners and finalists who share in this legacy,” said Steve Vetrano, co-chair of the Rotary Lombardi Award, “We also want to thank everyone who played a part in supporting this year’s award process, and look forward to the announcement of our 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award winner.”

Established in 1970, the Rotary Lombardi Award has raised millions of dollars to support cancer research, public education and direct services to cancer patients. The Rotary Lombardi Award embodies the Rotary tradition of service about self and the ideals of Vince Lombardi.

The Rotary Lombardi Award announcement is a two-day event filled with life enriching activities for the players and the community. The players begin with an outreach event where they will be given the opportunity to interact with inner city children, along with representatives from the Texans and the community. The next day, they will be the honored guests at a luncheon and series of receptions where they will meet Houston business leaders and event sponsors. The two-day event ends with the Red Carpet arrival of the players and the announcement carried live on CBS Sports television.

For more information on the two-day schedule of events and ticket opportunities, please visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org and follow the March to Gridiron Greatness on Twitter at @RotaryLombardiAward and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotary-Lombardi-Award/126108310763275.