Malcolm Johnson Named To 2012 Mackey Award Watch List
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After being named All-SEC Freshman in a vote by the league's coaches in 2011, Mississippi State sophomore tight end Malcolm Johnson was named to the 2012 Mackey Award Preseason Watch List, the Nassau County Sports Commission announced Tuesday. Johnson is one of just two underclassmen to be on the watch list for the award, given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end.
In his debut campaign with the Maroon and White, Johnson saw action in 11 games, catching 11 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. All three categories ranked first for a SEC freshman tight end. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native opened up his career with a 22-yard catch against No. 3 LSU on Sept. 15, 2011, before hauling in his first touchdown Oct. 8 in the win at UAB. The very next week, Johnson had two catches for a career-high 51 yards vs. No. 13 South Carolina, before catching a career-best three passes for 42 yards and a score in the triumph at Kentucky.
Johnson made his first career start vs. eventual national champion Alabama on Nov. 12, and then caught his third touchdown the next week at Arkansas. The redshirt freshman finished off his first year on the field with a career-long 37-yard catch in the Music City Bowl victory against Wake Forest.
The award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The winner will be presented live on December 6, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show. Before that, the semifinalists will be announced on November 12, 2012, with the finalists being named the next week on November 19, 2012. All future announcements can be found at www.johnmackeyaward.org.
For more information on Johnson and the MSU football program, follow the program on Twitter at @MStateFB and like the team on Facebook at Facebook.com/MStateFB.
