The latest college football awards watch list to come out, the 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award, features a number of local athletes. Three players from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish -- all offensive lineman -- and three players from the Illinois Fighting Illini -- all from the defensive side of the ball -- earned a spot on the prestigious watch list.
The Lombardi Award goes annually to the nation's top lineman or linebacker from the preceding NCAA football season. Here is a look at the local entrants for the 2012 award, with highlights courtesy of Yahoo!:
| Player | Position | University | Player Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Brown | LB | Illinois | 2nd team All-Big 10 (media), honorable mention All-Big 10 (coaches) |
| Michael Buchanan | DE | Illinois | 2nd team All-Big 10, finished year with 13.5 tackles for a loss |
| Akeem Spence | DT | Illinois | Nose tackle who is 2nd leading returning tackler for Illini defense |
| Braxston Cave | C | Notre Dame | The foundation of the Irish line, must overcome injuries from 2011 |
| Tyler Eifert | TE | Notre Dame | Thought by many to be the clear cut best tight end in the nation |
| Zack Martin | OT | Notre Dame | Voted Notre Dame's outstanding offensive linemen the past two seasons |
| Manti Te'o | LB | Notre Dame | 2nd team All-American and preseason All-American candidate for 2012 |
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