Cam Johnson Named to 2011 Lombardi Award Watch List
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Charlottesville, VA – Virginia senior defensive end Cam Johnson (Washington, D.C.) has been named to the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award Official Watch List. This is the 42nd year that the Rotary Lombardi Award has named the nation’s college lineman of the year.
Last season Johnson (6-4, 265) moved to defensive end from linebacker during the program’s shift from a 3-4 defensive scheme to a 4-3 scheme. He led UVa with 6.5 sacks and was number six in the ACC with 0.54 sacks per game. He ranked fifth in the league with 14.5 tackles for a loss. Johnson’s tackles for loss total ranked No. 12 on UVa’s single-season list.
Johnson enters his senior season having played in 30 games and recorded 100 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. He has started 22 of UVa’s last 24 games.
Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense of defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, and linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. All candidates also must be eligible to play college sports under the rules and regulations of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The candidates earned a place on the Official Watch List by earning All-American honors last season, by being named to their respective all-conference first team last season as selected by the conference’s head coaches, by being projected to be an All-American or first team all-conference player for the coming season, or by nomination approved by the nominations committee.
The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List, intended as a reference tool for the Selection Committee, will be periodically updated and revised up to the first round of voting to determine the 12 Semifinalists for 2010.
Last year’s Rotary Lombardi Award winner, Nick Fairley (Auburn), was drafted by the Detroit Lions and Finalist Adrian Clayborn (Iowa) was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both in the first round of the National Football League draft.
The 42nd Rotary Lombardi Award will be held on December 6-7, 2011 at Reliant Center in Houston, Texas.