Dawgs On Pony Express Watch List

FOOTBALL

Both Georgia center Ben Jones and offensive tackle Cordy Glenn along with punter Drew Butler and place-kicker Blair Walsh have been included on the inaugural Pony Express Award Watch List.

The two Dawg combinations, which consist of four seniors, are among the 48 tandems included on the Watch List for the inaugural award. The award, started by SMU’s legendary Pony Express backfield of Craig James and Eric Dickerson, will look at two- and three-player tandems from across the nation, ultimately honoring the combination whose work ethic, desire, on- and off-field leadership and playmaking ability best fuel their team.

The award, voted on by a panel of experts who will form the award’s board of directors, will be announced at the conclusion of the 2011 regular season.

The four Georgia players are two of 12 different tandems or trios of SEC players on the Watch List.

Jones, a native of Centreville, Ala., and Glenn, a native of Riverdale, have combined for 71 starts during their three-year careers, including 10 starts during each of their freshman seasons in 2008. Jones, who has been named to UGA’s Team of the Decade, has been named to Phil Steele’s preseason All-SEC Second Team and the No. 7 center in the country by Lindy’s going into 2011.

                                                         Glenn, a preseason All-SEC First Team selection by Phil Steele and Lindy’s, was selected to the Pro Football Weekly All-America Team following the 2010 season. He has started every game the last two seasons for the Dawgs and is expected to man the left tackle spot in 2011.

 

Butler, a native of Duluth, and Walsh, a native of Boca Raton, Fla., have already been named either First Team or Second Team preseason All-Americans by Phil Steele and Lindy’s as the season approaches. Butler has twice been a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, which is given to the nation’s top punter, and won the award in 2009. The son of former NFL standout and Dawg All-American Kevin Butler is on pace to become the school record holder in career punting average with a 46.1 mark through three years.

Walsh, a finalist for the 2009 Lou Groza Award, which is given to the nation’s top kicker, is also on pace to be near the top of the UGA list in several categories. His current field goal percentage of 80.9 percent for a career, which is the best in the SEC for any active kicker, puts him No. 1 in the Dawg record books going into his senior campaign. Walsh is also third in school history for most points kicking (304) behind Billy Bennett’s SEC record mark of 409 and Kevin Butler’s 353.