50 Players Named to 2011 Paul Hornung Award Watch List

Louisville, KY (Monday, August 8, 2011) -- The Louisville Sports Commission today named fifty college football student-athletes to the 2011 Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse. Profiles of each player can be found on www.paulhornungaward.com. The Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend Paul Hornung.

The 2011 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on 2010 statistics and expectations heading into the 2011 season.

Highlighting the 2011 Watch List are pre-season All-American selections Cliff Harris (Oregon), Damaris Johnson (Tulsa), Trent Richardson (Alabama) and James Rodgers (Oregon State). Joining Harris on the list are Oregon teammates Kenjon Barner and Josh Huff. Michigan's Denard Robinson is the lone quarterback on the list.

There are 20 seniors, 20 juniors and ten sophomores representing 46 universities and all 11 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The Pac-12 is the leading conference with nine players followed by the SEC with eight.

In 2010, players on this year's Paul Hornung Award Watch List accounted for 16,913 rushing yards, 15,287 receiving yards, 23,548 kickoff return yards, 3,990 punt return yards and 547 total tackles. Reminiscent of Hornung during his playing days, members of the Watch List demonstrated a knack for scoring, posting 300 total touchdowns and 1,806 points a year ago.

"Our goal from day one with the Paul Hornung Award has been to recognize versatile players that excel at multiple positions to help their teams win, which is how I played the game," Hornung said. "Last year I thought we hit the mark with our Finalists, Jeremy Kerley (TCU) and Randall Cobb (Kentucky), and of course with our winner, Owen Marecic of Stanford.

"I am impressed by the number of multi-talented players on our 2011 Watch List. It will be interesting to see who emerges as the top choices of our Selection Committee. I look forward to honoring the winner here in Louisville this winter at one of the best banquets the country has to offer for college football players and their families."

Texas Roadhouse signed on as presenting sponsor of the Paul Hornung Award in 2011 and will team with the Louisville Sports Commission to power fan voting on Facebook. College football fans nationwide will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite player during the regular season and again during the bowl season. Fan voting will open in late September and factor into selection of the finalists and winner.

Players from all FBS teams are eligible and appearing on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List is not a prerequisite for winning the Award. The Selection Committee, comprised of 16 national sports journalists and former college and NFL players, will narrow the field to approximately 3-5 Finalists in early December then will select the winner from among the Finalists following the bowl season in early January. Finalists will be announced on www.paulhornungaward.com and at the Louisville Sports Commission Breakfast December 9.

The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players that often go unnoticed. Owen Marecic of Stanford, a two-way starter and All Pac-10 performer at fullback and linebacker, won the inaugural Paul Hornung Award in 2010.

2011 Watch List Selections
Joe Adams, Arkansas
Keenan Allen, California
Kenjon Barner, Oregon
Brandon Boykin, Georgia
Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State
Jesse Callier, Washington
Tyron Carrier, Houston
Tim Cornett, UNLV
Tommy Davis, Northern Illinois
Jeff Demps, Florida
Jyruss Edwards, Louisiana-Monroe
Andre Ellington, Clemson
Troy Evans, Marshall
Jerry Gates, Bowling Green
Taylor Gentry, NC State
Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
Ray Graham, Pittsburgh
Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M
Cliff Harris, Oregon
T.Y. Hilton, Florida International
Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech
Josh Huff, Oregon
Damaris Johnson, Tulsa
KeShawn Martin, Michigan State
Rishard Matthews, Nevada
Marquis Maze, Alabama
Bradley McDougald, Kansas
Jamal Miles, Arizona State
Warren Norman, Vanderbilt
Chris Owusu, Stanford
Eric Page, Toledo
Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky
Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
Greg Reid, Florida State
Trent Richardson, Alabama
Denard Robinson, Michigan
Josh Robinson, Central Florida
James Rodgers, Oregon State
Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers
Pat Shed, UAB
Eric Stephens, Texas Tech
Troy Stoudermire Jr., Minnesota
Alexander Teich, Navy
Justin Veltung, Idaho
Jonathan Warzeka, Air Force
Kerwynn Williams, Utah State
David Wilson, Virginia Tech
Cierre Wood, Notre Dame
Robert Woods, USC
DJ Woods, Cincinnati

Texas Roadhouse
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Texas Roadhouse opened its doors in 1993. In just 18 years, Texas Roadhouse has grown to more than 350 locations in 46 states. The company is famous for hand-cut steaks, made-from-scratch sides, fresh-baked bread, and its lively atmosphere. In 2007 and 2008 Forbes magazine ranked the company as one of the 200 Best Small Companies and in 2009 the company was ranked "Best Value" by readers of Consumer Reports magazine. For more information, visit www.texasroadhouse.com.

Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse
Created by the Louisville Sports Commission in 2010, the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football. The Award is designed to promote college football and help preserve the legacy of one of Kentucky's best-known and accomplished athletes who has always called Louisville home. Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame and NFL MVP for the Green Bay Packers, set a single season NFL scoring record that stood 46 years. Paul is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called Hornung, "The most versatile man ever to play the game." A national selection committee comprised of 16 sports journalists and former NFL stars votes for the Hornung Award, and this year fan voting on Facebook powered by Texas Roadhouse will comprise the 17th vote. All votes are tabulated independently by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton Allen Ford. The winner is honored at a banquet presented by Jewish Hospital Sports Medicine in late January each year in downtown Louisville. For more information, visit www.paulhornungaward.com Fans can also follow online on Twitter (@hornungaward) and Become a Fan on Facebook.

Louisville Sports Commission
The Louisville Sports Commission is a Kentucky-based 501 c-3 organization whose mission is to attract, host and create quality sporting events and activities in the Louisville area that increase economic vitality; enhance the quality of life; promote healthy lifestyles; and brand Louisville as a great place to live, work and play. For more information, visit www.louisvillesports.org and follow the Louisville Sports Commission on Twitter (@SportsinLou).