University of Houston Athletics
Clay Becomes Third Cougar Named To Watch List
8/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 11, 2004
HOUSTON, - The national spotlight again shines down upon the University of Houston football program, as senior defensive end Joe Clay (San Angelo, Texas) today was named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. Clay is one 113 Division 1-A offensive and defensive linemen named to the watch list and is one of 19 from the state of Texas to be honored. Clay joins senior kicker Dustin Bell (Lou Groza Award) and sophomore quarterback Kevin Kolb (Davey O'Brien Award, Maxwell Award) to be named to preseason watch lists. A Preseason First-Team, All-Conference USA selection, Clay was the anchor on the Cougars defensive line in 2003, leading UH in sacks with seven and quarterback hurries with 22. A Second-Team, All-C-USA pick in 2003, Clay finished the year with 16 tackles for loss and a career-best 87 total tackles. This year, the Rotary Lombardi Award will celebrate 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. The 113 members of the Watch List earned a place on the Watch List by earning All-American 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. --- wwwUHcougars.com ---
