Charles Named Mackey Semifinalist

FOOTBALL

Georgia junior tight end Orson Charles has been named one of eight semifinalists for the 2011 John Mackey Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding tight end in college football.

The Nassau County Sports Commission announced that Charles, who is the only representative from the Southeastern Conference, will now be a candidate for the finalists group that will be announced on Nov. 21. The SEC has had the last two award winners (2009, Aaron Hernandez, Florida; 2010, D.J. Williams, Arkansas).

Charles, a 6-3, 241-pound native of Tampa, Florida, is the Dawgs’ leading receiver through 10 games with 32 catches for 395 yards and five touchdowns. Starting all 10 games and the last 20 in a row, Charles has played a pivotal role in a Georgia offense that is leading the league in pass efficiency and is ranked second in the SEC in total offense (438.7 yards per game).

Charles has tallied 1,191 yards and 10 touchdowns on 81 catches during his career. He is tied with current Kansas City Chief Leonard Pope for the tight end school record with 10 scores and is already third on the all-time list in yardage at his position. In addition, only three other tight ends in Dawg history have more career catches than Charles.