Gabe Jackson And Josh Boyd Named To Outland Trophy Watch List
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After being named to the 2012 preseason Coaches All-SEC team earlier in the day, Mississippi State junior offensive lineman Gabe Jackson and senior defensive tackle Josh Boyd were named to the Outland Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America announced Thursday. The third oldest award in major college football is given annually since 1946 to the best interior lineman in college football.
Jackson
was named to the prestigious list on his 21st birthday after earning the start
at left guard in all 13 games last season, tallying a team-high 67 takedowns. In
addition to the Outland Trophy Watch List and the SEC Coaches team, the 2011
Scout.com sophomore All-America selection has been named preseason All-SEC this
summer by Athlon, Phil Steele and the Birmingham News. As the anchor of the
offensive line in 2011, Jackson helped the Maroon and White reach the top 10 in
school history for single-season marks in passing touchdowns, passing
completions, total yards and first downs.
Of the 71 players on the watch list, Boyd was one of only 18 defensive tackles to
selected. A member of Athlon and Phil Steele's 2012 preseason All-SEC team, the
Philadelphia, Miss., native recorded 51 tackles in 2011, including 8.0 tackles
for loss and 4.5 sacks. Boyd dominated the top two teams in college football
from a year ago, racking up 18 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss combined
against national champion Alabama (Nov. 12, 2011) and national runner-up LSU
(Sept. 15, 2011).
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are part of the FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects the 25-man team and eventually the three Outland finalists to be named on Nov. 19. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner.
The winner of the 67th Outland Trophy, named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century, will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 6 on ESPN. The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be held on Jan. 10, 2013, in Omaha, Neb.
For
more information on Jackson, Boyd and the rest of the MSU football program,
follow the program on Twitter at @MStateFB and
like the team on Facebook at Facebook.com/MStateFB.
Josh Boyd's 2012 Preseason Honors
Outland
Trophy Watch List
All-SEC Second Team (Defense): Athlon
All-SEC Third Team (Defense): SEC Coaches, Phil Steele
Gabe Jackson's 2012 Preseason Honors
Outland Trophy Watch List
All-SEC Second Team (Offense): SEC Coaches, Athlon, Phil Steele, Birmingham
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