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E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu</center>
All those positional awards doled out at the end of each season aren’t so random. They start with long watch lists at the beginning of each year, so the voters (sportswriters) know who to follow. Here’s a list of the UCLA players on various watch lists.
RB Khalil Bell- Doak Walker award.
The Doak Walker award goes to the nation’s top runningback. There are about 30 players on the watch list, but only one other from the Pac-10, Keegan Herring from ASU.
LB Reggie Carter, DT Brian Price, DT Brigham Harwell- Lombardi award.
The Lombardi award normally goes to an offensive or defensive lineman, or any player who lines up within five yards of the line of scrimmage. There are 59 players on the first list.
PK Kai Forbath- Lou Groza Award.
The Groza award goes to the top kicker. UCLA’s Justin Medlock, whom Forbath replaced, was once a semi-finalist.
TE Logan Paulsen- John Mackay Award.
The Mackay Award goes to the best tight end. The past three winners were Fred Davis (USC), Matt Spaeth (Minnesota), and former Bruin Marcedes Lewis.
LB Reggie Carter- Nagurski Award, Bednarik Award.
Both of these honors are given to the best defensive player in the nation.
DT Brigham Harwell- Outland Trophy.
The Outland trophy goes to the best interior lineman- on either side of the ball.
QB Ben Olson- Unitas Award.
Perhaps the best way to explain the irrelevance of these lists- Olson "made the first cut" for the Unitas Award in May, when he was one of 25 chosen by a panel of experts. Then, in August, he re-injured his foot. He’s expected to miss at least the first two months of the Bruins season. Maybe that first cut was a little premature?
If any of these Bruins do win a positional award, at least you can say you were well-informed.
<hr>Related Daily Bruin sports stories<br>
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Quarterbacks vie for starting spot| Monday, August 18, 2008
Scrimmage shows strong defense| Monday, August 18, 2008<hr>