Why, of course there are more watch lists coming your way this week! First up Monday: the Lombardi Award, the eponymous honor of none other than Green Bay Packers legendary coach Vince Lombardi, given annually to the best linebacker or lineman in college football. Northwestern’s own Brandon Vitabile and Tyler Scott made the list of more than 100 candidates, which CBSSports compiled here.
The parameters for this award feel sort of arbitrary. Grouping linebackers and not just defensive linemen, but also offensive lineman, is an odd set of criteria by which to define a football award. You’re talking about three completely different position groups, grounded in different roles and responsibilities, each of which are probably best appraised on their own merits.
The slightly perplexing structure of the award is less important than the fact Vitabile is, you know, on it – his third watch list designation of the preseason (Vitabile was also named to the Rimington and Outland award lists). There are a lot of names on this list, and it seems folly to gripe over “snubs,” but perhaps Damien Proby deserved consideration here. Just a thought.