Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict on Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List

The Rotary Lombardi Award Committee released its preliminary watch list last week for the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award, including Arizona State University's sophomore middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict into the mix.

Burfict, the Pac-10 Defensive Freshman of the Year for 2009, is among 74 other Division I student athletes in the country on the watch list.

Last year's winner of the Rotary Lombardi Award was Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska, who was recently picked up by the Detroit Lions in the 2010 NFL Draft, and Finalist Gerald McCoy, from Oklahoma who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down lineman, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

Burfict was Dennis Erickson's highest rated recruit heading into the 2009 season, and he reluctantly filled those high expectations by being one of the most productive freshman in school history.

He has showed complete dominance on the football field from the time he stepped onto it, playing in all 12 games of 2009 and earning the starting middle linebacker spot after only three games.

Known for his hard hits, speed, and ability to get around the outside, he finished his freshman season with 69 tackles, 40 of which were solo.

Burfict also added two sacks, two forced fumbles, seven tackles for a loss, five pass breakups (best among ASU linebackers), and led the team with two fumble recoveries in the 2009 season.

His best performance of the season was at Georgia on September 26, where he compiled 11 tackles (three solo) and one and a half tackles for a loss.

The Rotary Lombardi Watch list highlights those players who have already received national recognition, but any Division I player meeting the requirements is eligible for consideration and will be periodically updated and revised throughout the 2010 season, eventually coming to a conclusion on 12 semifinalists.

The committee is comprised of more than 500 members, including all past winners and finalists, all Division 1-A head coaches, and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Look for Vontaze Burfict doing a lot of damage alongside the Arizona State defense, who are looking again to be among the top in 2010.