Four More Dawgs Named To 2012 Preseason Watch Lists

FOOTBALL

Another four Georgia football players have been named to three national preseason watch lists, according to announcements on Monday.

Junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones has been selected to represent the Dawgs on both the 2012 Butkus Award list and the 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award list. Jones has also been recognized by the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy during this year’s preseason.

In addition, senior defensive end Cornelius Washington was included on the Butkus list and senior nose John Jenkins was one of the players selected nationwide to be on the Lombardi list.

Junior quarterback Aaron Murray was also one of 25 quarterbacks across the country named to the 2012 Manning Award Watch List.

A native of Columbus, Jones was a unanimous First Team All-American following the 2011 season after he led the SEC in both sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (19.5). Last year marked his first season playing for the Dawgs after he transferred from USC and then redshirted the 2010 campaign.

Washington, a native of Hephzibah, started six games and played in 12 last season. He registered 17 tackles, including 5.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss. Washington is preparing to cross-train at defensive end in 2012 after recording three tackles, including a sack, versus #1 LSU in the 2011 SEC Championship Game.

The 28^th-annual Butkus Award selection honors the nation’s best linebacker. The watch list contains 51 candidates, honoring the now-retired professional jersey number of Dick Butkus, who is regarded as the best defensive player in football history.

Candidates in addition to those appearing on the watch list may be considered for the Butkus Award. Semifinalists will be named October 22nd, finalists November 20th and winners will be notified on or before December 4th.

Jones was a finalist for the 2011 Butkus Award after also earning the College Football Performance Awards Elite Linebacker Trophy last year. The Dawgs have never had a Butkus Award winner since the first one was picked in 1985.

Jenkins, a native of Meriden, Connecticut, made an immediate impact for Georgia in 2011 during his first season in Athens. The 6-3, 351-pound Jenkins played in all 14 games, including starting seven of the last nine, and tallied 28 tackles, three sacks and six tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had an interception from his spot in the middle of the Dawg defensive line.

Jenkins is also on the 2012 Bednarik Award and Outland Trophy preseason lists.

The Lombardi Award is given to the nation's top college lineman or linebacker each year. Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to: 1) offensive or defensive end-to-end down linemen who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball and 2) linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

The first round of voting for the Lombardi Award determines the Top 25 quarterfinalists for 2012. The second round of voting will determine the final seven semifinalists. The third round of voting will determine the four finalists. The winner of the 43rd Lombardi Award will be announced on national television live on Wednesday, December 5th at The Hobby Center in Houston, Texas.

Former Dawg David Pollack captured the 2004 Lombardi Award.

A Tampa, Florida, native, Murray finished the 2011 season with a school record 35 touchdown passes and set a school record for touchdown responsibility by a quarterback in a season with 37 (two rushing). Murray is the SEC’s leading active player in total offensive yards (6,476), completions (447), touchdown responsibility (65), touchdown passes (59) and passing yards (6,198). He also graduated in May 2012 and is now in graduate school.

The Manning Award Watch List includes 25 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2012 season. The winner will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans.

The Manning Award Watch List recognizes top quarterbacks in the nation based on previous collegiate performance; however, every quarterback in the nation remains eligible for the honor. Additional quarterbacks may be added to the Watch List after the start of the season. The list of 10 finalists will be released on Monday, November 26th. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 9th, 2013.

After naming its first winning in 2005, the Manning Award has selected three quarterbacks from the SEC over the eight-year span of its existence.