By Will Vandervort.
Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony, defensive end Vic Beasley and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett continue to receive preseason honors as all three were named to the Rotary Lombardi Watch list on Monday.
Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, 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. The candidates earned a place on the preliminary watch list by earning All-American honors, being named to their respective all-conference teams or receiving 2014 pre-season honors.
Jarrett had 83 tackles a year ago, including 11 tackles for loss, when he was named an honorable mention All-ACC player. His 83 tackles ranked third on the team overall, best among defensive linemen. He has 134 tackles for his 35-game career, 24 as a starter.
Beasley was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award last year when he was a consensus All-American, one of just three consensus selections returning for 2014. The senior ranked second in the nation in tackles for loss per game with 1.8, was third in sacks per game at 1.0 and was 13th in caused fumbles with 0.31 per game. Beasley had 44 total tackles, 23 of which were behind the line of scrimmage and 13 of those were sacks.
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Beasley was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award and was a first-team All-American by USA Today, Sporting News and the Walter Camp team. He was a second-team Associated Press All-American.
Anthony, a third-team All-ACC player in 2013, was the top tackler on Clemson’s defense that helped the Tigers to an 11-2 record and number-seven final national ranking by USA Today. The senior from Polkton, N.C. had 131 tackles, including 13.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also had five passes broken up. His only interception took place on the final defensive possession of the season in the 40-35 win over Ohio State.
The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2014 season in order to identify other players who have received significant pre-season honors. The Rotary Lombardi Watch List, intended as a reference tool for the Selection Committee, will be periodically updated and revised through the conclusion of the voting to determine the 12 Semifinalists for 2014.
The 45th Rotary Lombardi Award will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at the Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas. In all, the list includes 123 athletes from 76 universities.