July 15, 2013
THE FLATS – Jeremiah Attaochu and Brandon Watts, a pair of Georgia Tech senior defenders, were named to preseason watch lists for national awards on Monday.
The Rotary Lombardi Award, one of college football’s top postseason individual awards, named Georgia defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu to its preseason watch list. The Lombardi Award is annually to college football’s top lineman – offensive or defensive – or linebacker.
Last year, Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o edged South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney, Alabama’s Barrett Jones and Georgia’s Jarvis Jones for the honor. Boston College’s Luke Kuechly was the recipient in 2011.
Attaochu was also named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, and he was joined by teammate Brandon Watts. The Butkus watch list includes 51 players from 37 different schools. Te’o also won the Butkus Award last season.
Attaochu and Watts are two of just five players from the ACC on the Butkus Award watch list, joining Steele Divitto (Boston College), Christian Jones (Florida State) and Telvin Smith (Florida State).
Attaochu is on the preseason watch list for four national awards – the Bednarik Award, the Nagurski Trophy, the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Butkus Award.
Georgia Tech On Preseason Watch Lists
Jay Finch – Rimington Trophy (top center)
Jeremiah Attaochu – Bednarik Award (top defensive player), Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player), Rotary Lombardi Award (top lineman/linebacker), Butkus Award (top linebacker)
Jemea Thomas – Bednarik Award (top defensive player)
Jamal Golden – Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) Brandon Watts – Butkus Award (top linebacker)
Attaochu, who moved in the spring from outside linebacker to defensive end, enters the 2013 season with 19.0 career sacks, which ranks tied for eighth in Georgia Tech history. His 27.5 career tackles for loss rank 21st in Tech history. He has played in 36 career games with 24 starts.
Watts started at outside linebacker for the Yellow Jackets in 2012 and is considered one of the most athletic players on the roster. Last season Watts recorded 77 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. He also led the team with two forced fumbles.
